Tales of a Jinchuuriki
by ScldHeart
Summary: A collection of Drabbles focusing on our main Jinchuuriki, Naruto. There are Female Naruto stories and one or two others. These Drabbles can have an unlimited number of connected timelines, they can be AU, Canonish, and even completely messed up. I write for fun or expression, which means I write sad stuff more so than fluff. Accepting prompts or ideas for stories.
1. I- Clothes Shopping

**Hello Naruto Fans! Because I just can't bring myself to continue The Lone Jinchuuriki as often as I would like to I shall have a side series of One-shots involving Fem-Naru and maybe Male Naru, depending on what I want. I will still update The Lone Jinchurriki, and if you haven't already read it, try it out. It's a little darker than this series will be, so I guess you have been warned? Anyways moving on!**

 **Characters/Pairings-Kakashi and Fem Naruto, hints at Naru Kaku, mild themes**

 **Background-Not much other than** _ **why the hell was Naruto allowed to keep that damned jumpsuit?!**_ **And more importantly…HOW DID HE NOT GET CAUGHT DOING PRANKS IN THAT THING?!**

 **Disclaimer-I wish I owned Naruto…**

 **Chapter dedicated to The Lone Jinchuuriki and Naruto.**

* * *

Naruto knew that orange wasn't the most liked color in the world, knew that it wasn't a logical choice for clothing, but she couldn't help but _love_ the color. It brought her warmth and filled her with happiness. It was what identified her, alongside her jumpsuit in _said_ color. That said she was a little peeved when Kakashi had approached the subject of her clothing a little _to_ forcefully.

"Naruko, you need to choose another type of clothing. What you have now isn't suited for a Ninja." His one black eye traced up her figure, Naru's sandaled feet tapping the ground in annoyance as her eyebrow twitched. Her blonde hair was let down today, as no 'missions' were scheduled for that particular date. It hadn't even been a week since Kakashi had accepted them as his Genin, and he had chosen to bring up her attire. Her orange jumpsuit was there for a reason. First, it helped keep her cool, second she could run around and not worry about getting soaked in her sweat, third it hid her developed form, and finally, it was freaking Orange! "No can do Sensei." She spoke firmly, not letting up on her choice to keep the attire. She was fine with it, and she managed to be sneaky with it too! Everyone called her a loser and a freak over it, but she could hide from the Anbu with a bright orange jumpsuit! That had to say _something_ about her stealth. "Naru, you won't make it very far in the Ninja world dressed in that, no one will take you seriously. No Hokage would wear something that flashy." Naru's lips twitched down and she glared at the scarecrow even harder. So he was using her dream against her now? Oh she was pissed. "I won't change." The two met eye to eye, Naru unmoving whilst Kakashi resisted the urge to strangle his sensei's daughter.

I~~~~I

None of the arguing mattered, because after they had stared at each other for over an hour Naru was forced to give in. How the hell could the lazy eyed bastard manage that blank stare for that long?! "Stupid ass Scarecrow." She hissed under her breath as she pulled her shirt over her head. The fabric squeeze at her chest and she cursed before finally getting it over her arms. She pulled it down, glaring at the skin tight material whilst she straightened herself out in front of the mirror. Her eyes looked upward and she crossed her arms. Her blonde hair had been pulled into a ponytail so it wouldn't be as bad to deal with, her bangs framing her face. Black Cargo pants rested around her hips, going down to her ankles wear Kunoichi boots covered her feet. Her kunai pouches rested at the right side of her waist and her right leg. Her shuriken pouch was behind her left side, and she had her favorite weapon, a boa staff, stored in a small scroll strapped beside her kunai pouch. She also had a belt around her waist despite not needing it, several Senbon sewn into the fabric for emergencies. "Naruko, we don't have all day…" The bored drawl over her sensei brought her blue eyes to the stall door, the orbs hardening into a glare. "Whatever Scarecrow." She opened the door and exited, grabbing her orange jumpsuit on the way out. "There, happy now asshole?"

"Mah, mah Naru-chan, there's no need for that language-" Kakashi's body froze as he took in his student, the green fishnet shirt, the sleeves for the shirt ending at her elbows, the fishnet continuing to her wrists where black gloves sporting metal plates engraved with the leaf symbol covered her small hands. Her boots went up to her knees, her cargo pants fanning out slightly at the knee down. She also had a rebellious orange fox charm hanging from a belt loop at her waist. "Gonna stare for an hour again, Sensei?" Kakashi forced himself to look his student in the face, glad that he had a facemask himself. She was blushing, and he could feel heat rising at his cheeks. She only looked to the side, her blue eyes narrowed at something across the store. "U-Uh Yes…" Kakashi cleared his throat and looked away. "Y-You have the extra pairs?" He just barely saw her nod out of the corner of his eye, before they both went to the counter. The women there giggled at their faces. They had gone a little ways away from the village so that Naruko wouldn't be kicked out, so the girl was able to be amused in the Jinchuuriki's presence. Kakashi let Naru set the clothes on the counter as he pulled out his little pouch of Reo to pay for the clothes. He paid for the clothes and the two left, Naru saying goodbye to the clerk as she walked out the door. Kakashi's shoulders tensed when several heads turned their way, and he lead Naru down the small street. Kakashi barely contained himself from growling at the boys that spent a little longer than necessary staring at his Genin, whom was shifting as she walked. She looked at the ground, face flushed in embarrassment. He guessed that this is where the jumpsuit would have been nice, as it didn't show nearly as much of her figure. He immediately banished any further thoughts on that topic, focusing instead on his student as she suddenly stopped. "Naru?"

Naru's bright blue eyes had caught sight of the perfect remedy for her situation. She still felt exposed, even with her layers of clothes. However, that certain article of clothing that she had spotted in the window of that store could easily remedy her situation. "Naru?" She heard her Sensei but didn't look back at him. "One minute Sensei, I'll be right back…" She rushed off, leaving her bags for Kakashi to pick up. She entered the store rather quickly the clerk, a teenage boy, turning to her. She pointed to the article of clothing in the window, grinning a bit. "Could you ring that up for me please?"

Minutes passed before Naru appeared beside Kakashi again, holding a new bag in her hand. "Alright we can go back now." Kakashi raised a brow at the bag but she didn't budge. Instead he sighed and lead her to a little area where they sealed their items, before heading back to the leaf village. "Hey Sensei…?" Kakashi turned toward her as they walked out of the village, and was surprised to see a small smile on her face. "Thanks." His face heated up under his mask and he managed an eye smile. "Your welcome Naruko."

I~~~~I

"Where the hell is that Idiot?!" Sasuke cringed as Sakura yelled, Kakashi glancing up from his book to take in the enraged pinkette shouting and complaining about Naru being late. Kakashi had to say though, he was surprised Naru was even slightly late for their mission assignment. They may be D-Ranks but Naruko always enjoyed extra time to complain.

"Sorry guys, I had to take Kiba to the hospital so I was a little late…" Sakura turned sharply at the sound of the girl's voice, the Third Hokage opening his eyes as Iruka moaned out a 'finally'. "What do you mean by that Na-" Sakura froze as she took in Naru's form, her face turning ashen. Naru wore her outfit that she and Kakashi had picked out, only with a blue fishnet shirt this time, and an added necklace with two dog tags. There was also another add on, which was a black trench coat with two pockets in line with the the bust and ribbon like designs along the bottom edges. The coat had a high collar with the ribbon designs bordering the top, and two patches were sewn onto the shoulders, proudly displaying the Uzimaki symbol in orange. Her hair was pulled into a bun with her bangs framing her perfectly sun kissed skin. "Kiba passed out due to my outfit so I had to drag his ass to the hospital." She smirked, as though it was actually amusing. Sasuke froze as he stared at her, his jaw nearly dropping as his face heated up. Sarutobi promptly lost his pipe as it hit the table, Iruka's head hitting the table next. Kakashi raised a brow at the coat, thinking back to when she had ran off on their shopping trip. "Ah, so that's what you had gone after. I thought it would have been something else." Naru turned to Kakashi and grinned, and the silver haired Jonin was a little afraid that she was no longer embarrassed. "Yup, I even sewed the Uzimaki symbol onto it." She turned, showing the shoulders to Kakashi. "I figured it would help me adjust to the new style."

Kakashi chuckled and nodded, sharing an eye smile with the blonde. She beamed at him, earning them both looks from the others in the room. Sarutobi, the first to grasp the situation, picked up his pipe and put it back in his mouth with a soft sigh. "W-Well it seems like Kakashi managed to fix your attire problem, aye Naru?" Naruko pouted at the old man, crossing her arms over her chest. "Only because the damned Scarecrow is incapable of possessing any humane emotions." Kakashi promptly stiffened, Iruka managing a small laugh. "And because I look bad ass in black too." Sakura proceeded to faint and Sasuke face palmed, Sarutobi, Kakashi, and Iruka laughing together as the girl pouted. "I'm serious, Dattabane!"

* * *

 **A small introduction to what the chapters will be like, though not all will be happy or as sappy as this one is. I'll mostly stick to Fem Naru but maybe I'll do a male Naru. Also this is just a series of one shots, so they don't have to connect completely or co-exist with the timeline. In fact, they can be entirely ludicrous or just plain stupid, depending on what I feel like writing at the time.**

 **Thanks for reading, review if you have one-shot suggestions, and have a nice day/night/whatever time it is**


	2. II- Demoness of the Mist

**Welcome back to my insane mind! I have come up with yet another little one-shot that I may expand on. It is more of story material than for humor and actually has some purpose. Please enjoy!**

 **Characters-FemNaru, Team Seven + Sai, Zabuza, FemHaku**

 **Pairings-None**

 **Warnings-Killing, some flashbacks, fatherly Zabuza, sibling NaruHaku, mercenary Naru**

 **Background-Naruko by some turn of fate runs away from the leaf at age 4 and is raised by Zabuza alongside Haku, becoming known as the Demoness of the Mist due to her prowess using Zabuza's techniques, her ruthless nature against people who take advantage of the weak, and her association with Zabuza and Haku. She knows who her father is but can only guess who her mother is and has met Kurama but the two grudgingly work together.**

 **Disclaimer-If I owned Naruto it'd be all over the place, so it's a good thing I don't.**

 **Chapter dedicated to you awesome readers and the Narutoverse**

A cool wind grazed Naruko's hood as she stared down at the Konoha Team entering their trap. She funneled chakra into her fingers and flashed through hand signs, mist slowly rising from the lake below her. She felt her branch move, watching as one of the raven haired boys tossed a kunai at the rabbit Haku had left as a distraction. Naruko observed the team once more, mostly focusing on the Silver haired one. There were four guys, one of them the Bridge builder that Naruko and her 'friends' had been hired to kill, the other three Hidden Leaf Nin. The old man was nothing special, nearing his late fourties he sported a brown gotee and brown spiky hair. He held a canteen that Naru was sure had alchohol, since he carried himself like a drunkard. He wore civilian clothes and had a straw hat hanging form around his neck. Next was the older ninja and the Sensei of the group, Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan. He wore the normal Jonin uniform for Konoha and read a red book titled _Icha Icha._ Naru drew her nose back in disgust from under her hood, drawing her attention from the silver haired sensei to his two male pupils and the one female. The two males were ravens with black eyes, and both screamed gay in Naru's eyes. One wore black shorts and a black cropped top with a sword strapped to his back, scrolls strapped to his side. He wore standard ninja sandals and had a fake smile on his face as he spoke to his annoyed teammates. The other raven had a blue high collared shirt sporting the Uchiha symbol on the back, white shorts, blue sandals, and the standard kunai and shuriken pouches strapped to his side and back. Finally there was the pink haired girl that made Naru want to slam her head against the tree she crouched on. She was the definition of fangirl and weak, sporting a bright red dress and a kunai pouch strapped to her side, her long hair falling down her back, her headband exposing her large forehead and her green eyes. She screamed like a banshee at the cropped topped raven, making Naru's eyes ring. The Sensei turned, his eyes narrowing and Naru smirked as she saw her Master's blade fly toward the team. "Everyone, get down!" The Sensei yelled out he order and pulled his team down just in time, Zabuza's Kubikiribocho imbedding itself right above their heads in the tree the rabbit had been pinned to.

Naru grasped the handle of her Katana named Oni Taiji (Demon Slayer), and the handle of her wazashi (shortsword) named Akumu no Hakobi-te (Bringer of Nightmares), sliding them both from their sheathes at her back. Zabuza landed on his blade, smirking behind his white cloth that covered his face, his chest exposed aside from the black sling that normally held his blade, grey camo printed cargo pants going from his hips to his sandals. "Kakashi of the Sharingan, who would have thought I'd meet you here…" Naru noticed how the Copy Nin tensed as his name was spoken of with glee from her Master, and she relaxed her own muscles, getting herself ready. "Zabuza Momoshi, Demon of the Mist." The Copy Nin suddenly had a Kunai in his right hand, causing his students to go on edge and grab their own weapons, the girl moving behind her team to stand beside the bridge builder, fear in her green orbs. There was a tense silence for only a moment, before Kakashi turned to his students and barked out an order. "All of you protect the bridge builder, I'll deal with Zabuza." Kakashi reached up, pulling the black fabric of his headband up over his left eye, opening it to reveal a red eye. Three tomos spun and Naru chose that moment to launch herself from her position, landing right in front of Kakashi. His eyes widened as she looked up at him through her mask, the laughing grin of the Kitsune misleading him. "I don't think so…" Naru drove her short sword upward in a backwards grip, Kakashi barely moving himself in time to avoid getting chopped in half. Zabuza hopped down from his vantage point and pulled his blade out from the tree, moving to stand beside Naru as she flipped backwards. Kakashi steadied himself, glaring at Naru's cloaked form. "S-Sensei!" The girl screeched and Naru's eye twitched behind her mask, her wrist flicking. Kakashi's sharingan narrowed as Akumu shot forward and aimed to silence the pink banshee. He turned to warn her to move, the Uchiha tackling her out of the way. "Sakura, move!" The blade embedded itself in a tree almost halfway, Naru straightening herself and pulling her blade up in front of her as she grasped the handle with both hands. "You should teach your students to shut up, annoying a mercenary always leads to a quick death."

Zabuza looked down at his student, smirking behind his white cloth as he noticed her annoyed posture. She was relaxed enough that she could move freely, but had a slight tense near her collar that suggested she was annoyed at something, which Zabuza supposed was the banshee she had almost decapitated. "Now, now Kit, you'll get to play with the fakes soon enough." Naru ignored him in favor of shifting her stance too accommodate her missing blade, and Zabuza squelched his annoyance at being dismissed. The girl was good enough to get away with it, however it didn't stop him from getting angry at her for it. "A Kitsune mask along with two blades, one a katana with a black and white hilt, anothera wakazashi with a white and black hilt. You must be Zabuza's partner, the Demoness of the Mist." Naru tilted her head at Kakashi, and let out a soft sigh. "And if I am? It's not like you stand an ounce of a chance Copy Nin, named or not named." The implication that Kakashi really didn't gain much from knowing her identity was hinted at, both Kakashi and his male pupils catching it. "Kakashi, she can't be as old as us, how would you know about her?" The question that the Uchiha asked his sensei, rather disrespectfully Naru noted, was more of a demand than what it was supposed to be. "As I said, she is Zabuza's known partner other than the Demon Brothers. She was marked a C rank mercenary in the Mist Bingo Books, and has a price of 50,000 rio on her head." The discussion was dragging on, and it was starting to grate on Naru's nerves that the Copy Nin seemed to be all talk. "That's it…All you Konoha Nin ever do is talk! Let's get to the action already asshole!" Naru ignored her Master's glare in favor of rushing the Genin, Kakashi trying to stop her only to find himself occupied with Zabuza's blade. "Focus on your own fight, Kakashi!"

Sasuke smirked at the girl, despite his Sensei's warning. The girl was his ticket to test his own strength, to measure it to Itachi. That man after all was an S-rank Criminal, beating a C-rank was a good start. He brought up his kunai in time to block the girl's strike, wincing at the pressure she put onto the limb. One hand was left free, her right arm supporting the opposing force. She swiftly twisted around, her blade moving with her. Sasuke backed up, ducking as her blade came around again. His leg shout out at her legs, only to be surprised when she jumped over it. Her mask tilted to the side, and her sword was brought down upon him, her feet aimed at his thigh. Sasuke rolled out of the way quickly, grabbing two extra Kunai as he rose to his feet, sending them at the girl. Her wrist flicked, the blade of her sword knocking the Kunai to the side. They landed close to Sakura, whom promptly scream, whilst Sai stepped in front of the bridge builder, unrolling his scroll. "Man Beast Scroll!" Sai's monotone voice shouted out, the girl soon ending up tackled and on the ground. She stabbed her blade into the ink-creation without hesitation, flipping backward to gain some distance. As she landed she flew through hand signs, Sasuke's eyes narrowing as he found she was going too fast. "Water Style, Water Wave!" She blew outward, the mist surrounding her turning to water droplets whilst the lake nearby also rose to feed her jutsu. The wave came crashing down on the Genin and Old Man, Sakura screaming once more. The Demoness dashed forward, her hand twisting her blade into a backwards grip as she reached into her weapons pouch.

Blank blue eyes viewed the Konoha nin through the holes in her mask, Naru's patience continuing to wear as the Genin continued to attack. The Uchiha seemed to take the lead, engaging her in Taijutsu while the other Raven flanked him with the drawings, the pink haired banshee standing by the bridge builder, kunai in hand. It was a little less agitating that the girl didn't run like Naru had expected her too, but Naru still didn't doubt the girl thought that her 'Sasuke-kun' could beat his opponent. Maybe if Naru was holding back more than she was now, but it didn't matter anymore. Naru noted how Zabuza had caught the Copy-Nin in a Water Prison Jutsu, so the team of Genin was through. "Too bad, you may have been a good opponent later on in life." Naru held up her free hand into a release seal, the weight vanishing from her legs and arms. The Katana also became lighter, and her posture more relaxed. This change happened in little over a moment, Naru's present form vanishing from where she stood. The other Raven turned to the Uchiha, to shout a warning she guessed, but she had already ran her elbow into his back. "S-Sasuke-Kun!" The pinky yelled out, the Uchiha grunting whilst Naru gripped the collar of his shirt. She tossed him effortlessly toward his partner, the boy catching the Uchiha. Naru was on the move once more whilst the raven dropped his partner, his hand grasping his tonto. Both blades met in an arch and clash of steel, a smirk twitching behind Naru's mask onto her face. "Oh? You sure you can use that sword…?" The trailing off signified she wished to know his name, the boy pushing her back with a burst of strength. "Sai." He smiled creepily, sending slight shivers down Naru's spine whilst she chuckled to hide her discomfort at his lack of emotion use. "Naru." They launched forward once again, blades clashing together whilst they danced.

Naru turned left, Sai following while tilting his blade downward and to the right to accommodate for the newly found space Naru had. The girl dragged her blade down along his blade, earning her a faint widening of the eyes to showcase the emotionally-lacking boy's shock. Using her chance Naru let her blade drop momentarily, before gripping it in a forward grip with her left hand. Her right hand dropped to catch the weapons she had let go, fingers hooking into the circles at the end of the Kunai with a soft clink. The momentum of her hand going up was then used to let the Kunai fly upward, Sai bending backward just enough to dodged whilst he stretched his arms out. His fingers touched the ground and he brought his feet upward, kicking Naru's blade from her hands with his sandals. His blade lay on the ground close by, Naru watching him as he landed in a crouch. "S-Sai!" Kakashi Hatake shouted from his prison, Zabuza calling out next. "Kit, take out the bridge builder and we'll be on our way." Naru nodded toward her master, taking out more Kunai. Sai narrowed his eyes on her and he moved forward, only to freeze in surprise when Naru appeared in front of Sakura. The pinkette wasn't even able to let out a sound before Naru roughly knocked her out. A few Meters away, Sasuke raised his head. His teeth ground into one another as Naru's kunai filled hand struck out toward Tazuna's throat. "No hard feelings, Jiji-San." Naru's eyes became glazed under her mask, whilst Tazuna closed his own and prayed for his family.

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" Everyone was shocked when Naru was suddenly kicked away from the bridge builder by a flash of green, said flash forming a crater beneath his feet as he turned toward Naru. He struck a 'good guy' pose, smirking to show his brilliant white teeth. "My Youthful Rival, why have you allowed such un-youthful opponents to get the best of you?!" Naru tumbled, skidding along the ground. She grunted, her mask shattering as she rolled along the ground. "Shit." Her voice, now less muffled, was vibrant despite the foul use. "M-Master?" Naru rose, brushing the remains of her mask off her face. Zabuza scoffed, whilst Kakashi and the newest arrival froze upon seeing her face. Spiky blonde locks were pushed back by small fingers, Naruko's deep blue eyes dulled despite the sunlight shining into them. Her skin was sun kissed, a common trait for Wave Country, but not Mist Country. "I can't move, Kit, you'll have to handle this yourself." Naruko rolled her eyes, her hands moving in front of her as she channeled her chakra. "Nothing new, ass." Zabuza growled at her whilst she called out. "Unseal." Unlike the simple release gesture, the unseal undid her weights completely, leaving her feeling lighter than before. She gently touched the headband tied around her neck, a simple black band with a silver plate engraved with the mist symbol. The mist symbol had a line cut through it, most likely done by a Kunai. Her hood pooled at the back of her head, tickling her neck. "You owe me for this, Master." Naru barely finished speaking before she was attacking the green clad man before her, eyes narrowed in concentration whilst her Taijutsu style altered severely. It became more precise and held chakra-backed attacks, the brutal and somewhat thoughtless style from before gone. The Jonin she attacked seemed shocked still, but quickly regained himself. He moved and defended himself, attacking the blonde with his own strikes. She barely dodged them, her speed helping greatly with avoiding almost deadly blows. The man she fought was different from before however, focused on her as the two attacked, blocked, and dodged each other. Finally noticing a small opening, Naru raised her hand to re direct a blow to her shoulder to the side, raising her other hand to form a singular hand sign. Two water clones rose from beside her wordlessly, and without a moment's notice she retreated further back, closer to her master, whilst her clones attacked the man. She turned and Zabuza let go of Kakashi whilst she raised the same hand she used to make the water clones, forming it into a pistol like shape. "Water Style, Compression Gale Bullet!" She fired the attack toward her clones and the other man, while Zabuza moved behind her. They stood back to back, the giant swirling bullet of water that had formed from Naru's fingertips splitting her clones into pieces, tunneling straight toward Gai, the remaining Team Seven, and their client. "Shit, Gai!" Kakashi stood from his spot on the water, eyes wide in shock and fear. He quickly channeled chakra into his hands and shouted out as he breathed. "Wind style, Great Breakthrough!" A giant gust of wind slammed into the bullet, forcing it into the forest and away from Gai. However, when Kakashi turned to face Zabuza and his blonde accomplice, he found them gone. "Shit."

I~~~~I

"So your name is Naruto? That's an odd name." Blonde hair brushed Naru's cheeks as she sat on the cliff edge, the pale haired boy from before standing behind her. Sai, Naru recalled as she looked out at the ocean. "Sai is an odd name as well." The edge of wariness remained in her voice, Sai looking at her with an odd smile. "I suppose. So, why are you with Cow-Print Pants?" Naru couldn't hold back a laugh at the name that Sai had given her master. She leaned back, her Azure orbs meeting Sai's iris orbs. "He found me, took me in. It was back when I was really young, barely 3. He gave me a place to call home, so I stuck with him. I don't have anything else."

I~~~~I

Naru stood in front of the Copy Nin Hatake Kakashi, and his friend, Konoha's Green Beast, Maito Gai alongside Zabuza and Haku. Her blade rested in her gloved hands, her mask removed. Her cloak's hood was bunched around her neck around her headband, her whisker-marked cheeks being brushed by the fabric every time the wind blew by. "Zabuza, where did you find that girl?" Kakashi spoke up, his tone firm as he stepped forward, blocking his three Genin and the bridge builder from sight. "Sorry, I'm not liable to say Kakashi. However…If you win I might just consider it." Naru stepped forward, raising her hands up. "Unseal." Her weights were lifted, Gai shouting from beside Kakashi. "Yosh! Fight me with your flames of youth girl!" Naru's eyebrow ticked as she glared back at Zabuza. "I hate you, you know that Master?" Zabuza grunted, a smirk forming under his bandages. "You'll live Kit. Don't hold back, even if you have to use _that_." Naru nodded, and launched herself toward Maito Gai without another word, feeling slightly worried at the fact that Zabuza had mentioned using _that_.

Naru wove around Gai's strikes and punches through Zabuza's heavy mist, her sword meeting the weights on Gai's arms with equal forced as she sped around him at near blinding speed. Behind her, Kakashi and Zabuza were fighting once more, and a little ways away from them stood Haku as she fought against the two boys. The female of the group stood by the Bridge Builder, holding a kunai as she stood protectively in front of him. "Hm, I suppose the pretenders aren't half bad after all." Naru ducked under a kick aimed at her head, sliding her blade into its sheath before kicking Gai in his chest. His eyes widened when she twisted and flew above him, flashing through hand signs as she did so. "Wind Style, Broken Reflection!" She removed her hands from their interlocked position, winding them around her in arcs and lines. Gai quickly moved, the same shape of lines, only bigger, appearing on the bridge where he had stood. She continued as she fell, landing in a crouch behind the winding lines. They formed a cracked shape, whilst Naruko flew through more hand signs. "Water Style, Gale Compression Blade!" She swiped her hand diagonally, taking from the hidden mist surrounding them as it formed a blade of compressed water. The water fell into place on the cracked spaces, Gai looking at it in curious caution. "Combined Technique, Shattered Image!" Gai froze, the mirror hardening before showing him. It looked much like ice but still remained like water, however the image inside the water caught his attention. It showed him, only this him was being run through by Naru's blade. His eyes narrowed before he noticed the weird compressed water images were surrounding him, each showing another Gai in a different situation, several of them leading to his death, the others leading to his opponents. Either way, all his copies turned to him, smirking as their eyes turned red.

He snapped from the illusion when the girl was knocked over by a kick, his head throbbing. He looked up and nodded in thanks to Sai, whom stood where Naru had. He had kicked the girl, breaking the Genjutsu, after defeating Haku alongside Sasuke. "I see…" Naru stood, wiping her jaw as blood slipped down her lips. It vanished on her black sleeve, while she smiled sadly as Sai. "You know Sai…your name isn't so weird after all." She paused to lift her hand, the sleeve sliding down. On her arm was a dark black tattoo of a fox, the tails spiraling past her shoulder were the loose material bunched. "You certainly do repeat things."

 _Naru paused as she collected herbs, turning just in time to dodge a swipe at her mid-section, only to be hit by a roundhouse kick and sent tumbling from the forest to the open air."_

"You kicked me like that the last time we met in the forest." She turned away, freezing when the sound of chirping birds was heard through the mist. Gai froze as well, Naru turning sharply. "N-No!" She dashed forward, vanishing whilst the other Konoha nin rushed after her.

Within moments, Naru's entire life changed. She saw the shocked Konoha Jonin, his outstretched hand aiming to slam into not just Zabuza, but Haku as well as he had jumped in the way. Her eyes flashed red, and a large red chain rose up from between Haku and Kakashi, slamming into the Konoha Jonin and sending him to the side. He was caught by Gai, whilst Naru rushed toward Haku as the girl collapsed forward in exhaustion. The dogs holding Zabuza vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving the man to collapse onto Naru as well. She caught him and set the two down side by side whilst panting, several red chains waving at her feet, ready to attack and protect. "H-hey, Master?!" Zabuza grunted, looking up at Naru. "I'm fine Kit…Heal Haku first." Naru nodded and reached down, channeling her chakra into her palms. Green Chakra formed, flickering one before steadying. She rested it over Haku's chest, healing the internal injuries first. Behind her, Kakashi spoke up in shock. "A-Akihane." Naru flinched, the image of glares appearing in the back of her mind, along with a blonde haired man, smiling down at her sadly as blood slipped down his lips. It was followed by a guttural laugh, one she hadn't heard in a while. **"Kit…who would have though."** The Kyuubi quieted before she could ask anything else, though his laughter didn't seem to fade. She frowned when she realized the pitch was wrong, and someone else was laughing. "Well look at this, you have your other bitch healing the first one…Tch I was hoping the ninja would finish you weaklings off." Zabuza forced himself up, a growl leaving his throat as he glared at a stubby pale haired man dressed in a black suit. "G-Gato…you bastard…You planned to betray us?!" Gato smirked, his sunglasses sliding down his nose as he looked down on Zabuza in distaste. "Of course, Ninja scum."

Zabuza forced himself up all the way, even as Naru turned to stop him. "M-Master-!" She was silenced when he looked to her, his dark eyes smoldering. "Is Haku healed?" Naru nodded, her gut sinking as Zabuza reached over, ruffling her hair. "Take care of her, Naruto." Naru's eyes widened and she moved to stop him, only to fall forward when Zabuza chopped her neck, knocking her out. He stood from his spot beside her, his dark eyes glaring toward Gato and the many thugs behind him. "Kakashi…I am no longer after the bridge builder. Please watch over Naru and Haku…" He sighed, feeling the blood in his lungs pooling. The dogs had punctured a lung, and Zabuza doubted he'd get out of the fight on his hands alive. Kakashi frozen behind him, unable to speak as Zabuza gripped a kunai he had picked up from Naru, before dashing into the mass of Mercenaries.

I~~~~I

"Face the light…Wake to Dawn…You were all I had all along." The soft musical notes drifted in the salty air. "You picked me up, dragged me around. You were all I had all along." Sadness caused the paused between lyrics, tears sliding down smooth tan skin. "Now you're gone…And I must face the light, wake to dawn…all alone." Naru's blonde hair brushed past her watery eyes as she looked toward the sea. On her lap she held Zabuza's giant clever. She reached up and wiped away the tears, standing as she did so. She paused and turned around, facing Kakashi. He stood beside Zabuza's grave, the marker on it having several flowers placed by Naru and Haku. "We're leaving." Naru's dimmed eyes didn't offer him any answer, and she looked at the blade her held. She pulled it around to her back, latching it in place before following Kakashi. She stopped to touch the gravestone one last time, before sighing. "Goodbye, Master."

 **Something short and bitter-sweet. That was the what-if on Naru being raised by Zabuza, and what I would have had happen. I'm actually glad with the turnout, since I haven't been able to finish any of the other One-Shots lately. Maybe I will, but I just want to turn them into stories apparently. This may get another part, I'm debating. Oh well, thanks for reading!**


	3. III- Through a Sister's Eyes

**I don't advise reading this unless you've read The Lone Jinchuuriki, but I suppose you could still read it. It'll be hard to understand, however, since it isn't technically about Naru, but more so about an event in her life in The Lone Jinchuuriki.**

 **Universe-The Lone Jinchuuriki**

 **Main Characters-FemNaru,OC(Sashiko)**

 **Side Characters-Kurai Hafu, Kurama**

 **Pairings-None**

 **Warnings-Slight DarkNaruto, Mentions of Physical & Emotional Abuse, Red Haired Naruto, gore**

 **Origin-** **So, this was just, well it just came to mind and I figured it might help explain things.**

 **Background-Throughout Sashiko's short life she fought to protect her little sister from many things. However, her view on the things she did and her reasons still remain unknown.**

 **Disclaimer-I** **wish** **I owned Naruto…**

 **Chapter dedicated to The Lone Jinchuuriki, the 50 reviews I got on TLJ, and Naruto.**

* * *

 _ **Despite the pain and suffering dealt to Sashiko and her little sister Naruko by Konoha and its villagers, the Oreshizoku Jinchuuriki couldn't bring herself to hate the place she called home. She wasn't a nice person, no, she just found too many good qualities that the bad couldn't override. Her mother had lived here, her siblings were born here, her father was buried with the rest of her family here, aside from her brother Ichihara of course. She was part of one of the founding clans, even if it wasn't very known, and the village had been the place her little sister was born. Sashiko couldn't hate Konoha, despite knowing she ought to.**_

 _I~~~~I_

Short, faded cyan locks brushed pale skin, the slight dampness causing the smooth strands to stick as watery blue eyes struggled to keep in the rest of the young girl's tears. Sashiko stared down at the chest in her hands, the one engraved with her most careful seal work, the box she had spent the past few months perfecting. She had copied the markings from a scroll, however it was still hard not to mess up, despite her elegant hand writing.

Sighing shakily, Sashi looked to the set of panels lifted upward to show a small storage below. Sashi had discovered it not long ago, and she felt exceedingly thankful late one when she realized that her plan could be completed. The box she held was the perfect fit to, just enough space left for hands to be able to reach in and pull it out. Huffing gently Sashi hefted the chest into the spot, replacing the paneling on top after setting her note down on the lid of the surface.

Sashiko was worried, worried for her little sister and herself. The villagers had grown more agitated lately, and had gotten even braver in their attempts to end the Jinchuuriki siblings. It was only a matter of time before something happened, and if it took one of them away…Sashiko shook her head. She would protect her little sister, no matter the cost. She would rid herself of her childhood once more, as she had done when she had turned 3 and they were kicked from the orphanage. If anyone would die, it would be her. She wouldn't let them hurt her sister.

 _I~~~~I_

 _ **She'd protect her because Naru was all she had to protect.**_

 _I~~~~I_

Sashiko pulled her sister behind her, the red hair that Naru possessed brushing against her shoulder. "S-Sashi w-we need to run…"

Sashi flinched as the shouts of the villagers grew louder, her heart pounding in her chest. "S-Shh, Naru they won't find us. I-I'll protect you if they do."

Her resolve hardened as she gripped her sister's hand, fear coursing through her veins. "I found them!"

Her heart skipped a beat as a man shouted from in front of them. He stood a few meters ahead, a torch burning in his hand despite the constant downpour around them. The flames flickered and hissed but remained alive, casting a glow on the two girls. Naru yelped, backing up in the tree behind them whilst Sashi raised her hands in order to protect her sister. The fire lit up his plain brown hair and brown eyes, a common combination in Konoha. His face held a signature scowl that most villagers held. "Demon Scum…Thought you could hide did you?!"

Sashiko grunted and forced her legs to remain steady as she glared darkly at the man. "G-Get away!"

Naru yelled from behind Sashiko, though her call was ignored. Sashiko spoke up after her sister, angered by the stupid villager who couldn't see he was harming an innocent child. "We never did anything to you!"

The man sneered at her words, lashing out with his torch. Sashiko held back a cry as sparks burnt her arm and she was sent tumbling to the side, mud coating her body. The man glared at her and spat at her. "You never did anything?! Don't give me that shit, you killed so many people, you killed my son!"

His foot smashed down on Sashiko's back, stars exploding in her eyes. Naruko watched from behind, eyes wide and filled with tears. "N-No…"

The foot smashed down onto Sashiko's chest again, making her cry out in pain once more and cough up clear fluid. "Disgusting little bit-"

Sashiko turned to her sister, her blue eyes filling with shock when she saw the redness in Naru's eyes. "Y-you…BASTARD! LET HER GO!"

Naru tore across the muddy clearing, knocking the man over. He tumbled, his light going out as it hit the water. Her hands were now claws, her eyes having slit pupils with a red coloring surrounding it.

Sashiko watched her sister tear into the man, shaking as she did. She had never seen her little sister so angry before, and it hurt inside. Her eyes watered and she forced herself up, choking when she felt something rip inside her chest. She gasped in pain, Naru turning growling as she noticed that Sashi was hurt. The man took his chance and scrambled away from the scene. A woman ran out from behind him, standing in front of the man. "You beast…what the hell is wrong with you!"

Sashi's world froze as her sister turned slowly toward the woman and snarled, the woman shouting demon as Naru rushed toward her, hand extended and ready to kill. Sashiko didn't think, rushing toward them. She pulled in front of her sister, shaking as she thought of the pain Naruko would be in if she killed someone. Sashiko just had to stop the blow that was all. Nothing turned out as planned however.

Sashiko stood staring into the eyes of her little sister, the girl she adored more than anything, as her clawed hand drove into her stomach. Sashiko stood in front of the female villager, guarding her from her sister's anger as blood bubbled from her throat and spilt over her lips. Her eyes stared into Naruko's shocked and horrified ones, the red haired girl shaking as she stared at her sister. Sashiko coughed, blood pouring down her face as the Kyuubi's chakra started to heal her injuries around the clawed hand in her stomach.

The woman behind them screamed and scrambled up to her feet, running away as tears slipped down Naruko's cheeks. "S-Sashi…"

The little red head was shaking so much, her hand quickly removing itself from her sister as she stepped back. Horror was evident in Naru's blue eyes as well as guilt and self-hatred. Shashi grew sad and worried as she saw her sister look down at her blood covered hand, her normally bright blue eyes tormented with emotions. "N-Naruko."

Sashiko stepped forward, gripping her sister's hands. She could feel her sharingan activating, barely at the age of 4, and she pressed her forehead into her shocked sister's. "F-Forget!"

Sashi couldn't allow her little sister to experience this, to believe what had happened was her fault. Sashiko just wished that when she used the Genjutsu on Naruko, she had been paying attention to her surroundings.

A kunai pierced through the small of her back, and she gasped in pain as it was dragged up and bag, slicing open a lung. "S-Shit…"

The Kyuubi chakra wasn't able to heal both the fatal wounds at once, Sashiko knew this. Instead it went back and forth, trying to keep her alive as more blood spilt over her lips. Behind her, the man with the Kunai smirked, before collapsing to the ground as he died. His chest was sliced open with claw-like marks, the blood from his body mingling with the rain soaked ground where he had tried to crawl away earlier. Sashiko looked into her sister's eyes as she felt the genjutsu's will fading. She grunted and called upon the chakra, forcing it away from her wounds. She wasn't important right now, Naru was. She couldn't allow her sister to know, to believe she had killed or hurt anyone in such a brutal manner. It would destroy the girl that Shashiko cared so much for. "Naruko…F-Forgive me."

Sashiko's head tilted to the side as she coughed again, blood hitting Naru's face as chakra flowed from the cyannette into the red head. "Z-Zero Seals Style…T-transfer overlay…" Sashiko's voice dropped and she felt her world darkening as she managed to kiss Naru's forehead and her middle and index finger touched the Uzumaki's right eye.

For a brief moment the sharingan flared, spinning rapidly before the singular tomo split into three and those then extended inside the previously Azure orbs. They twirled, forming three petals on a set of rings. This pattern faded however, along with the mature sharingan, instead revealing glossy blue eyes. Naruko held her dead sister in her arms, shaking still as tears fell freely from her face. She looked at the peaceful smile on the other girl's face, and pain accompanied with loneliness started to build inside her. "N-No…DON'T LEAVE ME!"

 _I~~~~I_

 _ **Despite dying however, Sashiko never stopped taking care of her little sister.**_

 _I~~~~I_

Sad blue eyes looked through the bars that the small girl sat in, her cyan hair brushing her forehead as she stared at the scene before her. Naru was demanding that Kurama release Sashiko's chakra inside her, in order to complete the jutsu in order to revive Sashiko herself. The cyannette sighed gently, clucking her tongue to the roof of her mouth. "Naru…"

Raising her gaze again, Sashiko touched her face. "Unseal."

Her sharingan blazed to life in the uncovered eye, and her hand removed from her first one. Resting there was the Hyuga's Byakugan in a light blue hue. Next, she allowed her Blood Chakra to flow around her, and then lightning built up in the area. The faded seal on her stomach had started to glow as Kurama's presence prodded on her chakra, releasing it from its confines as Naruko performed the blood clone. However, instead of just the Blood Chakra flowing out, so did Sashi's other branches of chakra. "There…Don't hate me…Imuto."

 _I~~~~I_

Soft Blue eyes glanced over toward the girl with red hair, curled into a ball on top of the ice lake. "Naruko."

The eyes trailed upward to a chuckling figure, catching the red eyes of the red haired man before her. "No white hair?" Kurai Hafu paused in his laughter, looking over at the girl with the soft blue eyes. "What was that girl? I couldn't hear you over the Kitsune's pathetic whimpers…no wonder you left her-"

Kurai was swiftly cut off when the blue eyes turned red, the black inside spinning dangerously as she girl's white chakra grew around her. "Leave my sister alone."

The dark tone startled Kurai for only a moment, before he glared over at the girl. "Sashiko…You are the reason I am like this and you know it. Telling me to leave Naruko alone is like telling you to stop meddling with her feelings. We both know that will never happen."

Sashiko lifted her small right hand, and in an instant the ice lake and Naruko vanished from around them, replaced with a pure white space filled with golden chakra. "I do not justify either of our actions. I will pay for what I have meddled with soon enough. You however, cannot be punished without punishing Naru. I will not allow it…You are also me, you also hold the capability of loving her."

Kurai scoffed, stalking forward till he stood in front of the four year old girl, his red chakra growing to press into the large white chakra. He looked down into her sharingan eyes, smirking as his own red orbs glinted darkly. "I could never love someone who gave up."

Shashi stared into his eyes, and Kurai returned the favor. The area seemed to shimmer as Shashiko's white chakra started to recede. "She did give up, but she gave up on her hatred, not on me or herself." Kurai was forced to step back when the sharingan finally stopped spinning. Sashiko's eyes were in a form he would rather not see again, the form that created and controlled him. "Y-you…"

He was silenced when suddenly the white chakra rose up and swallowed his red chakra. White cracks appeared in his skin as his eyes filled with betrayal and hate. Sashi only sighed sadly, and shoved her tiny palm through Kurai's chest. He looked down at the little girl in shock, before screaming out in anger. "D-don't you dare!"

Sashi closed her eyes, sharingan fading away. "Echo…Soul Sealing Jutsu!"

The white cracks spread further, spiraling to form kanji before a blinding light erupted.

 _I~~~~I_

 _ **Even if she only hated herself more for it in the end.**_

 _I~~~~I_

Sashiko stepped away as Kurai vanished, tears slipping from her eyes. The white area faded, and she appeared beside Kurama. She shook, tears spilling from her eyes as she tried desperately to not think about what she had just done. It hurt so much, because Kurai wasn't just part of her, he was part of Naru. "Damn it…"

Kurama's tails wrapped around her, shocking her as the fox spoke. **"Kit, don't cry. You did what you had to do to protect your own."**

Sashi looked up toward Kurama, her watery eyes forcing back their tears. "Yes, but it costed you being able to talk to her, It costed her someone else she cares for. I had to seal away anything negative, and you are made of malicious chakra. This seal is a double edged sword. It keeps the negative emotions away, stopping the Curse Mark's progress while keeping Kurai's influence far from Naruko's mind, but it also keeps out you and influences what she feels. I'm manipulating her Kurama…"

* * *

 _ **And done. Not much but it covers what has happened in the story so far. Sashiko has always been the sacrificial type, I designed her like that. This influenced how I wrote The Lone Jinchuuriki, and now how I wrote her perception of the events in it involving her. Several words or sentences may have been changed or added because The Lone Jinchuuriki is mostly told in Naru's view of the world, so I had to change some things and how it was worded. I'm happy with how it turned out however, unlike my other one-shots. Thanks for reading this short clip.**_

 _ **(6-11-16:Fixed the sorce code, now it no longer shows. Sorry TheBeauty!)**_


	4. IV- Right From Wrong

**Universe-Right & Wrong**

 **Main Characters-Naruto**

 **Side Characters-Itachi, Shisui, Hiruzen, Danzo**

 **Pairings-None**

 **Warnings-Slight DarkNaruto, Mentions of Physical & Emotional Abuse, Red Haired Naruto**

 **Origin-Just a jumbled piece that came to me while playing on my phone and going over testing.**

 **Background-Naruto was never taught right from wrong. He didn't know what being nice or mean meant, so he made his own interpretation. Aided by the concepts of 'good' and 'evil' that he was taught, Naruto decides that in the end, the way the villagers treat him is 'good', and the way he acts is 'evil'. Wishing to find approval he adjusts his beliefs, acting towards others the way they treat him. Disturbed with the way things are playing out, Sarutobi turns to his best friend for help. This turns out to be one of the oddest ways of ensuring that Danzo will remain loyal to Konoha, and beginning of Naruto's road to being a legend.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, sadly. Hinata might though.**

"Why aren't you smiling, you smiled when you did this to me…Am I doing it wrong?"

A red haired child stood above a gagged and bleeding villager, one who was looking at the little whiskered red head with terror in her eyes. The Azure eyes of the child darkened as he frowned at the woman and crouched low as he held his rusty dull kunai. "You taught me that this is 'good', so why aren't you enjoying it? Is it because happiness is bad too?"

Naruto paused, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as he twisted the kunai in his grip. "Well, it's good I don't really enjoy this then. Honestly…I'm not sure what to think."

He straightened himself and dropped the kunai as he turned away from the woman. The woman screamed from behind her gag, blood pooling beneath her against the tree. "You did this to me…Is it not good? I don't know…I mean you do this all the time and whenever I escape you get mad and tell me I shouldn't run, so I can't let you go because you will run, and then you'll be bad too."

The little boy sighed gently. "Well…Bye."

Naruto turned once more, intent on heading home to set fire to several apartments like everyone enjoyed doing to his home. He stopped however when he felt a spike in warm earthy chakra tinted red. "Oh, Jiji's coming. That means something is wrong. I don't know what, I did everything that you didn't say was bad…"

Naruto wasn't able to contemplate further, instead turning toward the underbrush. The civilian woman seemed to wonder why, until the Third Hokage, dressed in his robes and hat, dropped down flanked by two ANBU. "Hokage-Sama, is something wrong?"

Naruto tilted his head, curiosity reflected in his orbs. The old brunette focused his dark brown eyes on the woman first, before turning to the boy standing in front of him. "I only did what they said wasn't bad…Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry I messed it up, I didn't mean to."

The 4 year old's eyes were glassy, but the tears were held back. Sarutobi could only guess the reason, but he was damn well sure it was a good guess. "Anbu, apprehend the woman. Tora, oversee the interrogation. Inu, come back to my office once she is secure. Neko, get Danzo…"

The woman screamed more under her gag, but Sarutobi was already in front of Naru, swooping the boy up into his arms. He felt too old as he stared at the truly clueless child. The words that Naruko had spoken, ones that he had said every time he was caught for burning a house, every time he struck against someone. They taught him it wasn't wrong. Sarutobi's heart ached so much as he pulled the boy close, letting out a sigh. "N-No Naruto…y-you didn't do anything w-wrong…I d-did."

Naruto remained clueless, pale lips drawn down in a frown across his sun kissed face. Hiruzen held the boy close as he took off toward his tower, Naruto's eyes lighting slightly when he felt the rushing wind. "W-Wow."

Hiruzen's heart nearly shattered at the display of childish innocence.

The two landed on the roof of the Hokage Tower, an old man waiting for them with two guards dressed as Anbu with black kanji on their masks standing at his sides. Naruto noticed the bandages wrapping half the man's face second, instead noticing the condensed and swirling red speckled chakra at his bandaged eye, and the dark grey chakra that swallowed it. Naruto was set down, and immediately he lowered his upper-half into a bow. "Good Evening Shimura-Sama, I'm sorry you had to come out this late…"

Naruto trailed off, not knowing how to finish the greeting. Shimura Danzo however, was pleased with the boy's respect. Still, he noticed that the boy was more laid back than any other time he had seen him. "Naruto…"

Hiruzen spoke up, Danzo glancing up to his best friend, he noted how the Hokage gripped the shoulder of the young boy, how his care for the Jinchuuriki showed in his chakra. "You'll be staying with Danzo from now on."

Naruto nodded as he looked Hiruzen in the eyes, his own flickering briefly. "Understood, Hokage-Sama."

Danzo noted the barely restrained flinch under the surface inside Hiruzen's chakra, and knew right away that whatever caused the formalities most likely led to this situation in the first place. "Uzumaki, you will address me as Danzo-San or Danzo-Sama, understood?" Naruto nodded sharply to Danzo, straightening himself out. "Understood, Danzo-Sama. May I make a request?"

Danzo was quite surprised at the boy's forwardness, but nodded anyways. "Please call me by my legal Clan Name, Danzo-Sama. I am Namikaze Naruto Kiri after all."

Surprise was too bland of a term to describe the feelings on that roof that night. Naruto knew who his father was, and he was barely 4. Danzo chalked this up to the child also being able to form interpretations of information despite only being given the bare minimum, and even then the child had to fight tooth and nail just to get the little slivers of information. He would be an excellent addition to Root.

 **I~~Two Years Later~~I**

It wasn't too odd to those in root to see the blonde haired child with blue eyes walking around without his Kitsune mask in place. In fact, it was odd for the boy to wear his mask inside ROOT head courters at all.

This boy was simply walking down the halls, having left a meeting with Danzo-Sama about his mission.

The mission had been successful, too easy for the rapidly growing boy who took to the world of shadows like the color black. He was a natural in almost every aspect, including his uncanny ability to get away with anything. No one could prove him of so much as smiled, because no one had any real proof. It went to say that with that factor, it was only natural that whenever a 'random' prank happened inside or outside the compound despite everyone knowing in the back of their heads that it was Namikaze Naruto's doing, Kitsune-Ne to those outside ROOT, no one could prove his involvement. They were more likely to end up making it seem like they had done it, or hell _Danzo-Sama_ had done it before they found even a sliver of proof showing the boy's involvement. "Kitsune!"

From behind Kitsune, another Ne-Nin called out, his Karasu mask held firmly over his face.

This Ne Agent was of the few Ne-Nin that was able to speak, and constantly abused the right. No one hated Karasu however and couldn't even because of how he acted and his general personality.

Naruto was included in that number, despite the boy's social awkwardness and slightly sadistic nature. "Karasu-San, what did you need?"

The little blonde boy asked the older male, who came to a stop beside his fellow nin. They continued to walk down the halls at a brisk pace, the smaller of the two somehow able to keep up with Karasu's long strides. "I wanted to know if you were still up for training tonight."

The young Ne raised a brow slightly at the question before nodding, his eyes focusing forward. "Yes, Danzo-Sama released me from further duties for a week or so. I am able to train with you tonight, and tomorrow if you wish."

Karasu grinned behind his mask, nodding sharply to the young boy. "Alright, I'll notify Inu-Sempai. Hopefully we can drag him into getting some real training done, eh?"

Naruto paused in their stride at the mention of the man, the image of the silver haired, inu masked, porn reading ANBU flashing through his head. "That would be nice."

Naruto's lips twitched slightly, and he promptly bowed his head to Karasu as a goodbye, turning down another long hall. "The same place, Kitsune."

Naruto didn't have to nod to show he had heard, the retreating footsteps of the man showing that Karasu knew the Namikaze's answer.

Kitsune-Ne stopped at a door, the twentieth to the last, his hand touching the old fashioned shogi door. There was a slight wave of chakra, the seals Danzo-Sama had placed on the door removing themselves. Naruto stepped inside and slid the door closed, allowing the seals to creep back into their spots in order to guard him from unwanted outside forces. He looked around the room to check for anything showing intrusion, settling on the fact that nothing was out of place. Humming gently under his breath, Naruto released a soft sigh and his eyes gained light from their previously dull state. He walked past the flat futon and the small table in the corner.

There was a set of shogi doors leading outside into the other hallway, though they were closed at the moment. He turned toward the other door, the only western thing in the room really. He opened it and entered his bathroom, the sets of clothes, civilian and ANBU alike stacked neatly in a set of wooden shelves beside the shower. Closing the door, he glanced toward the mirror, taking in his small form. He barely stood above the cabinets, the tuff of his unruly spikes showing the most. He could see the top part of his nose, but that was about it. Shaking his head, he set to work removing his armor in order to take a shower and change into somewhat civilian wear.

I~~~~I

Hatake Kakashi was many things. He was a Scarecrow by name, a man by genes. He had silver hair and openly displayed his perverted tendencies, while also keeping a somewhat good face in public. He was Jonin Ninja of Konohagakure No Sato, he was the last surviving student of the Yondaime Hokage, and Kakashi was an ANBU Captain by the name of Inu. One thing that he wasn't however, was a teacher.

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't seem to get the hint however, and kept assigning a team of Genin for him to choose whether to pass or fail. He supposed it should be expected by now, but it annoyed him regardless. Narrowing his one revealed eye at the pathetic group he had gotten this time, Kakashi forced himself not to lash out at the wannabes. "You all fail. None of you are ready to be Ninja."

Turning sharply, Kakashi ignored the outraged Genin that shouted at him. "If you are only good for listening to orders, then go become a slave. I have no use for mindless tools. _Konoha_ has no use for mindless tools."

The Genin were struck speechless at what he said, Kakashi continuing away from Training Ground Three with lunch in mind. He glanced back toward the Memorial Monument for a moment, pausing only once when a flash of black landed beside him. "Ohayo Sempai!"

The loud and utterly uncharacteristic Uchiha that stood in front of Kakashi made his lips twitch upward from their depressed scowl, warmth spreading inside his chest along with a tiny twinge of hurt. "Afternoon, Shisui-Kun."

The Uchiha pouted at the suffix given to him, but shrugged it off in favor of turning around and joining Kakashi on his walk toward Konoha. "I was wondering if you were up for some training later on today. I already got 'Aru-Kun to agree to join me."

Kakashi nearly froze upon the mention of Naruto, giving Shisui a confused and narrowed look whilst the Uchiha smirked. "He's on leave for a bit, and we both need a challenge. I doubt you'd throw the chance to see him away so quickly, ne?"

Kakashi managed to let out an exasperated sigh, knowing the damned Uchiha had him there. He didn't normally train with Shisui, was often in a bored mood or had a mission planned. This time however, Shisui had him. It didn't matter, rain or shine, mission or no mission, Kakashi never missed a chance to see his Sensei's child. The boy was nowhere near the same kid that Kakashi had watched over years ago, not much of a trace even left of the boy that didn't know much of anything about the world other than the hurt it caused. "Alright, same place Shisui- _chan ?_ "

Kakashi withheld his grudging smirk while Shisui huffed at him. "Yah, whatever Kakashi-Sempai. I'm going to go see if I can drag Itachi from his little cave to join us too. It's been too long."

The Uchiha smirked and waved at Kakashi before vanishing in a Wind Shuinshin, just as Kakashi stepped out of the grove of trees and into the village roads. "Poor Itachi-Kun…"

Kakashi shrugged to dismiss his own words, pulling his book out from his weapon's pouch. Shisui was right after all, it had been too long.

I~~~~I

"D-Damnit…Again?!"

Naruto withheld a smirk at the nin before him, the Uchiha groaning as he lost yet another game of shogi to his blonde friend. "How the hell do you always win this shit?"

Naruto sighed at the display of crude language, glancing to the side toward the two Ninja that were seated under a large oak tree. Three stumps were near them, ropes pooled around the middle stump. Behind them and a little ways away was the Memorial Stone, a reminder to the lives lost. "When you said training, Shisui-San, I didn't think you meant playing Shogi."

Shisui pouted at the six year old in a childish display, turning to whine toward his younger cousin. "Ita-Kun!"

In an annoying display, Shisui dragged out the first part of Itachi's name, causing Naruto to wince due to his acute hearing. "Shisui…"

Itachi sighed from his spot beside Kakashi, pushing himself up to his feet. He wore the traditional Uchiha garb just like Shisui, his headband wrapped around his forehead while his cousin had it tied around his arm. His hair was growing long, held in a low ponytail behind his head. He had pale skin, and old man lines on his face. They weren't very pronounced, and honestly added to his vibe. "If you won't actually start training then I suppose I will. Go play Shogi with Kakashi-Sempai."

Itachi stood before his Cousin, Naruto's darkened blue eyes lighting up a bit as he shot to his feet. "Thanks Itachi-Kun!"

Shisui shouted from behind his cousin, already setting up beside Kakashi. Naruto was unfazed by the change of pace and seemed to be glad that he was released from his 'prison'. Upon noticing Naruto's rarely shown happiness as being freed, Shisui's mouth twisted into a pout while a whine left his lips. "That's mean 'Aru-Kun."

Shisui received no reply from Naruto.

"Fine."

Kakashi sat up a bit, looking toward the two younger shinobi on the field. The two ANBU level shinobi had backed away from one another, Naruto's face settling to an impassive stare once it was apparent they were going to begin while Itachi remained the same.

Almost instantaneously the two charged at one another, Naruto jabbing his palm into Itachi's shoulder. The Uchiha retaliated with a swipe at the boy's legs. The blond jumped over the strike and used Itachi's shoulder as leverage to launch himself over the older boy. The youngest of the two landed behind Itachi and raised his arm and aimed an elbow at the small of Itachi's back.

Itachi countered quickly a replaced himself with a log nearby. Naruto grunted upon hitting the wood, channeling chakra into his arm. The log exploded and wood chips raining down on the area while Naruto flashed through hand signs with Chunin speed. "Earth Style, Great Impact!"

The Uchiha's fists collided and he slammed his foot into the ground, the earth spiking upward as the chakra surged through it. Itachi was forced to move from his hiding spot, landing beside the blonde. He flashed through his own hand signs at near-Jonin speed, fire blowing out from his lips without the need for a name. Naruto didn't seem fazed by the sudden frontal attack, inside spinning and vanishing under the earth. The fire roared over his newly made hole, Itachi jumping back from his spot as the Blonde sprang out of his spot within the ground, Kunai in hand. The Namikaze tossed the Kunai at his Uchiha opponent, sending him back further while Itachi prepared himself for the next frontal assault.

I~~~~I

Laughter rang through the small wooden room, jarring the sensitive ears of a certain boy at the front of the classroom full of genin-hopefuls. Drawing the attention of the noise-makers, the brunnete Sensei of the class shouted at the brats.

"Alright Class, settle down! We're welcoming a new student today, his name is Kaze Kiri!"

The class paused for a couple moments after dying down under Iruka's roar, taking in the seemingly normal boy at the front of the class. His eyes were a dark blue and his hair was a dark red. He had sun kissed skin, and wore a black face mask that covered mid-way down his nose and around to his ears. He wore a simple grey fishnet t-shirt with black cargo pants, black ninja sandals under his feet. He also wore bandages around his legs and arms, black gloves covering his hands. A black scarf was worn around his neck with a set of silver dog tags and a small charm attached to a chain necklace, the charm most likely a clan symbol. The boy had an air of nonchalance around him and barely looked at the other kids. "Hello."

His voice was surprisingly soft, his eyes glancing toward the teacher beside him. "Iruka-San, is it alright if I sit down now?"

Iruka chuckled gently, smiling at the boy. He seemed to know the kid, despite none of the other students knowing him. "Yes, pick a seat."

The girls in the class watched Kiri's every move whilst he took a seat at the front of the class, nearest to the door. He sat without a care in the world, settling his head onto his palms as Iruka called roll.

I~~~~I

"Danzo-Sama…I have a proposition."

A red haired boy spoke up as he stepped out from the shadows behind the Hokage's bookshelves, his blue eyes lowered in respect as he stopped in front of his master and the Hokage. Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui shared a look with each other at the sudden appearance of their friend, pausing as Sarutobi Hiruzen motioned for 'Kaze' to speak. The boy glanced toward Danzo to get confirmation, before speaking clearing as he addressed the adults in the room. "I suggest, instead of exterminating the Uchiha Clan, you extend an olive branch."

The Hokage and his old friend shared a look, Danzo opening his eye to catch his agent's gaze. "And what type of olive branch would you suggest we extend, Namikaze?"

The deep voice of Shimura Danzo did little of Naruto, who had gotten used to the tone over his many years training under the man. "Me. Offer them the chance to protect the Namikaze Heir, the Son of the Fourth Hokage and the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi."

Silence descended on the room, two shocked sets of onyx eyes each gazing at the red haired boy whilst the Hokage glanced to his old friend in worry and annoyance.

Sighing heavily, Hiruzen spoke to Danzo, cupping his hands together under his chin. "What do you say, Old Friend? Is Naruto-Kun prepared for his identity to be released to the public?"

Danzo kept his eyes on the red haired child that had in some way, wormed his way into his stone cold heart and made it so that he didn't want the boy to be completely heartless. Naruto had grown, and despite his lack of emotions and his grudging respect for the Hokage, he was ready to be acknowledged by the village. His IQ was higher than 200, he fought like a High-Chunin despite being Genin rank, and he was very adept in politics. At this point, it would only hinder Danzo's plans by keeping the boy locked away. His choice was made, on both matters.

I~~~~I

"Sasuke, meet Namikaze Kiri Naruto. As of today you will be training beside Naruto-Kun and protect him with your life, understood?"

Uchiha Itachi spoke softly to his Outoto, making sure the younger boy understood exactly what was happening.

Standing beside the red headed Namikaze that Itachi motioned to was Uchiha Shisui, decked in the familiar Uchiha garb. Naruto himself wore his normal modified Root Outfit, his dark blue eyes set on Sasuke in an uncaring manner.

The boy was a year younger than Itachi's brother, but the two boys were the same height, not counting hair. "Uchiha Sasuke, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Naruto nodded toward his newest guard, startling the raven haired boy, whom glanced at his brother before taking a deep breath and nodding sharply at his new charge. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Namikaze-San."

Naruto's lips twitched as he turned around, walking toward the door of the office that they had met in. "Naruto-San is fine, Sasuke-San. Now, since introductions are over, how about we go get some training done?"

Naruto turned his head to look at his bodyguards, his expressionless eyes unnerving Sasuke while they relaxed Shisui and Itachi. Both the elder boys had worried about Naruto's opinion over Itachi's energetic little brother, but it seemed that Naruto liked the boy just fine. "O-Of Course Naruto-San!"

Sasuke rushed after the red head, ignoring the soft snickers he earned from Shisui over his flushed face and stuttering.

 **This jumping drabble is finished, though I've already started another to link to this one, and it won't jump around nearly as much as this one did. I'm pretty happy with how this turned out however, especially since It means I get to post two new drabbles for Tales of a Jinchuuriki instead of one. The reason for posting two chapters isn't too great really, but I still want to celebrate the fact. The Lone Jinchuuriki recently hit 50 reviews! I'm so glad that that story made it so far, and my treat to both my stories will be up pretty soon. I'm updating ToaJ with two chapters, and fixing the first ten chapters to TLJ** ** _plus_** **updating with a new chapter. The writing format will be the same as this one, as will future chapters!**

 **-Thanks for the review, sorry I didn't reply till now but well…no excuses. Anyways I did fix the spelling errors, and the Ryo thing was a massive brain failure since I tried for about five minutes to get it right and settled on something I knew was wrong, so thanks for helping with that. It was a major face palm moment when I realized how to spell it.**

 **TheBeauty-Thank you! Also, don't fret, I have the SasuNaru story almost completed, I just need to add the final bits and then it'll be posted in a week or two.**


	5. V- His Naru

**Universe- His Naru**

 **Main Characters- FemNaru, Sasuke**

 **Side Characters-Suigetsu, Karin, Jugo, Orochimaru, Kabuto**

 **Pairings-SasuNaru**

 **Warnings- Possessive Sasuke, Mentions of Abuse, Slightly OP Naruko, Sluttish Karin, Light Konoha Bashing, Panic Attack**

 **Origin- My Tiger Pocket Book, a few too many unfinished Fanfictions, and Sasuke**

 **Background-In the midst of a battle between Team 7 and Sasuke, Naruko chooses to side with Sasuke and leaves Konoha behind for emotional reasons. Naruko then proceeds to aid Sasuke as he starts his quest, providing him with the information previously hidden from him by Konoha.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto!**

 **Chapter dedicated to TheBeauty, thanks for the reviews again!**

Sasuke was quite frankly sure he had died and gone to heaven. The warmth snuggled into his side, the blonde hair tangled in his hands. The little cute blonde that rested beside him as he slept seemed too good to be true. He looked at her, his white overcoat twisting as he moved to get a better look at the angel in his arms. He finally had his adorable angel, and no one would take her from him. His free hand(the other was trapped under his slumbering blonde) moved and traced her cheek, a soft smirk gracing his lips. All it had taken was a few simple words, and she had willingly sided with Sasuke. She chose him, and while she had made him promise not to harm Konoha, she had still _chosen him_. Over Kakashi, Konoha, even her godfather. She had chosen _him_.

Sasuke wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her closer, breathing in her scent as he rested his chin on her hair. She smelt of lavender and warmth. It seemed impossible, but the blonde was known for making even that possible, but she smelt like Sunshine, and it warmed even his cold heart. "S-Sasuke?"

Her soft voice murmured from where she was pressed into his chest, and he removed his head so she could look at him. "Morning Naruto."

The blonde stared at him as shock slowly faded from her eyes. She turned red upon noticing the close contact that she had with him, a soft squeak coming from her mouth. He chuckled gently and pulled away slowly, letting her fall back into the warm covers as he sat up. He grabbed his Katana from his bedside, glancing at her as he wrapped the large purple rope around his waist and secured the blade there.

"So that…the battle, everything…happened?"

Naru looked unsure, as though the situation would fall away and she'd be left back in Konoha. "Yes."

Sasuke sat back down on the bed, growing a little surprised when Naru rested her head on his shoulder, her arms wrapping around his neck. "G-Good. I don't want them coming after me."

The Uzumaki spoke softly, but the shaking in her voice didn't pass Sasuke. "Naruto, you said that something happened in the village…What was it?"

Naru froze, her eyes looking up to meet his. Her blue orbs held so much fear it caused Sasuke to pause for a moment, and for hate to flare up inside him. Whatever made his blonde afraid had to be something horrible, something that Konoha had done to her that made her leave to the only other person she trusted, him. He brought his arms back around her, and she slowly relaxed, despite the haunted look that was now placed inside her eyes. "B-Baa-chan d-doesn't know…O-Only Sensei does…"

The quivering in Naruto's voice cracked slightly and Sasuke became unsure of himself, drawing circles on her back like his mother or brother had done whenever he was hurt. "T-They broke into my apartment and tore e-everything apart…T-Then they broke into my room…"

His blonde shook and Sasuke's eyes widened, Sharingan activating as he realized where the story was going. "K-Kakashi-Sensei stopped t-them…b-but I still…They told me they wouldn't stop…T-That I'd never be safe, that I didn't belong…They said I forced you to leave, that in the end I caused everything wrong to happened and all the deaths were my fault-!"

Naruto's breathing picked up rapidly whilst she shook, Sasuke only cutting her off by kissing her gently. It scared him how she had suddenly sunk so deeply into her emotions, how her emotions had suddenly come spilling out all at once. He felt it in her chakra even, despite not being a sensory ninja. "Shhh."

Sasuke pulled away, whispering into her ear. "Breathe Naruto, breathe."

The Uchiha was worried for her, but he also was unsure of what to do. First he had to get her to calm down, and then he'd have to tell her how things went. After that, he'd be making his way to Konoha to pay some assholes a visit. "Just Breathe Naruto, in and out. Let it all go, I won't let them come after you. None of it was your fault…"

It was theirs. It was Konoha's fault Naruto became a Jinchuuriki, it was Konoha's fault she grew up alone, it was Konoha's fault she didn't feel safe, it was Konoha's fault he left, not hers. He pulled her close to him, forcing his muscles to relax as the blonde shook against him, trying to follow his instructions. She slowly relaxed against him, falling asleep. "Naruto…"

Sasuke sighed and looked down at her tear stained face. His Sharingan was still active, and unconsciously he stored the memory away, to forever remember what Konoha had done to their Jinchuuriki, his Jinchuuriki, no, his Naruto.

I~~~~I

Sasuke grunted as he hauled himself out of the Snake's skin, glancing up at the door. Standing in the archway was Kabuto, a worried Naruko trailing behind him. Sasuke smirked at his blonde, watching as she shoved Kabuto aside and rushed toward him, falling to her knees as she channeled chakra into her palms. "Stay still!"

The Blonde's voice rose to show she meant it, her hands ghosting over the bruises and cuts that littered Sasuke's pale skin. Once she was finished, Sasuke moved his hand and pulled her down, capturing her lips in his own with another smirk. "It's done…he's gone." Naru relaxed against him with a sigh, her blue eyes sweeping over the room before landing on Kabuto. "Want me to take care of him?"

The Uzumaki Kunoichi whispered into the Uchiha's ear, earning her a nip at her own ear as the Raven replied. "Go ahead." Naruko nodded, gripping a kunai from her knee-high black shinobi sandals, turning sharply as she stood in order to face the shocked silver haired boy. "H-How?!"

Kabuto questioned Sasuke, only getting a smirk from the boy as a reply. He turned to Naru, shocked when she vanished and appeared in front of him, her eyes no longer blue. The irises had sharpened and become slits, the color a deep scarlet. "Goodbye, Kabuto."

Naruko twisted the blade against Kabuto's heart, sending the Kyuubi's chakra into her Kunai, transferring it into the body of the Medic. He dropped within seconds, eyes turning glassy as blood seeped from his charred chest. Naruko wiped the kunai on the shirt of the boy, turning to face Sasuke as he stood and walked over to her. "Come on…There's someplace I have to go before we head out."

I~~~~I

"Why am I not surprised that Orochimaru-Teme has a creepy dark basement with broken test tubes leaking green and blue water?"

Naruko spoke up from beside Sasuke, her soft pink lips twisting into a scowl as she looked down at the dark basement that indeed had the items she had mentioned. Sasuke only shook his head with a smirk, his hand wrapping around the girl's shoulders, pulling her to his side as they stepped onto the ground. "Because he's the stereotypical Mad Scientist?"

A scoff broke from Naru's scowl, forcing it into a sly smile as she looked around in the darkness. Her bangs fell into her eyes as they turned scarlet and the pupils became slits. Her head tilted to the side and she paused when she saw a water pool that didn't move or act like the rest. "You can come out now…I see you behind the tank with the broken tubes."

Sasuke had to admit, he was a little surprised at Naruko's use of the Kyuubi's chakra in locating what he was looking for. It wasn't nearly as good as the Sharingan but it was close. Suddenly, a low chuckle caused the attention of the Uchiha to drift away from his and Naru's eyes, toward the rising puddle in front of them both. His eyes spun, the sharingan taking hold as he let Naru go in favor of walking toward the glob. He pulled out a cloak that he had grabbed from his room on the way to the lab, standing between the figure and his Jinchuuriki. "Hmm, so you did keep your promise, Sasuke?"

The figure straightened, turning from translucent to opaque and then solid. Standing in front of the Uchiha was an albino male with pale skin and fanged teeth. The boy's hair had blue tips, and he wore a purple shirt along with tan shorts and black weights on his calves and arms. "Oh course, Suigetsu."

I~~~~I

Muttering under his breath, Sasuke glanced back at Naru before turning toward the large prison set up in front of him. "Okay…Naru there is something you might want to be warned about."

Naruko raised a brow at the Uchiha, her lips thinning as she narrowed her eyes on him. "And what exactly is tha-"

Naruko's sentence was never completed, a yell sounding form the building ahead. Behind the two, Suigetsu shivered in disgust, glancing to the side as he spit on the path. "S-Sasuke?!"

The blonde Jinchuuriki turned to catch sight of a red haired female wearing black square-rimmed glasses, a purple button-up blouse, and black shorts. The girl was looking at Sasuke with a somewhat dumbstruck facial expression that aggravated Naru to no end. "Another one?"

Sasuke wince at the hiss in his blonde's voice, hiding his fear quickly. He would not show his weakness when it came to Naru.

"Yes, Naruto."

The Uchiha replied in monotone, hoping that Naruko wouldn't suddenly get pissed off. He wouldn't have her alone, especially since Suigetsu hadn't stopped flirting with his blonde since they started their journey. "S-Sasuke, I didn't think you'd be arriving! What's the occasion?"

The girl walked forward, talking in a firm voice that only wavered when the girl met Sasuke's eyes. "Nothing Karin, I came here seeking you. I want you to join me."

Sasuke eased his muscles, his voice coming out uncaring as he leaned closer to his blonde, warding off the smirking Suigetsu that thought he might get some alone time with the girl.  
"Come in then, we can discuss…matters, inside."

Naru shook her head with a long sigh as she turned away from Sasuke. "I'll be back Teme…"

Her blue eyes met his onyx, and they both seemed to freeze in the moment before Karin noticed that other female in the group. She narrowed her eyes on Naru, and then on Suigetsu. " _They_ aren't invited in."

Despite the hostile hiss, Naruko didn't retaliate against the red haired girl. Instead, the blonde turned toward the rising sun, her eyes lighting up as she noticed that the heat was perfect and wouldn't bother her. Suigetsu however, wasn't nearly as peaceful when it came to the words of the newest addition to their team. He raised himself on his toes so he could tell Karin off, but a hand in front of his face stopped him. From his side, Sasuke raised an eye to meet the dark pink orbs his teammate possessed. "Watch Naruko."

Suigetsu nodded and turned serious, two of his fanged teeth sticking out over his bottom lip as he turned and jumped beside Naru. The two fair headed nin disappeared into the heavily wooded area, onyx eyes watching them vanish. "Now then…Sasuke."

The same eyes glanced to the side, catching sight of the pouting Karin that had taken his left arm hostage, pressing it up against her chest. "Why don't we go somewhere _private_?"

Sasuke barely restrained himself from dry-heaving at Karin's words.

I~~~~I

Suigetsu, Sasuke, and Karin all watched the blonde enigma that was Uzumaki Naruko in shock as she hugged the raging Jugo, her chakra surrounding his body in a warm glow as the chakra inside of Jugo, the Natural chakra that enabled him to transform and made him unstable, was replaced. Soon Jugo's monster like form had receded, leaving the released man to slump in the arms of the blonde. The whiskers on her cheeks became white, and her eyes became a molten gold with black slit pupils. Above her eyes she had scarlet marks that curved at the ends of her eyes, tipped with white and gold dots. Her eyes had also become narrower, giving them a vulpine look. "There…you okay Jugo?"

Naruko whispered softly to the orange haired male, smiling as she did so. From behind the pair, Sasuke came running over. He was annoyed about Naruko holding another male, as well as putting herself in danger, but he was also _impressed_ with what she had just done. Sasuke stopped himself beside his blonde, taking in her new appearance with a sly smirk. "Hmm, your eyes are very…"

Naru looked toward Sasuke, sighing as she let Jugo go so he could stand on his own. She offered a soft smile toward the raven at her side, as well as an answer. "Fox-like?"

Sasuke leaned in after his Uzumaki spoke, breathing softly against the pale pink lips before he finished his former sentence. " _Foxy_." The smugness didn't fade from the Uchiha's appearance, even when Karin growled and Naru turned a lovely scarlet that almost matched her eyes.

I~~~~I

The groan left Naru's lips as she stretched her arms above her head, the tanned skin shinning as the sun hit it just right through the leaves of the trees above her. Pale arms wrapped themselves around her waist, tugging her into a chiseled chest as Sasuke's chin nuzzled against her neck. Raven stands mixed with gold, a soft sound leaving Naru's throat as Sasuke's lips grazed her collar bone. His onyx eyes lazily drifted to gaze into Azure, fixing themselves on the flush of Naru's cheeks. In only a moment, Sasuke's eyes swirled to become his Kekai Genkai, capturing the image before them in an unforgettable memory. Naruko allowed Sasuke to bring her head around, his eyes closing as his lips met her own, pushing her back into him as she reciprocated his feelings.

The two teens pulled apart when they heart a snicker, Sasuke's eyes turning to narrow on a smirking Suigetsu. The boy raised his hands in surrender while winking at Naruko, walking away from the two spread out on Sasuke's bedspread. Naru sighed gently and pulled herself up, away from the warmth that surrounded Sasuke.

The thought of Uchiha scowled at losing his blonde, promising pain to Suigetsu for interrupting his time with Naru.

From across the camp, Jugo poked at the cooking fish, his orange hair falling over his deep green eyes as he smiled wistfully. At his side, Karin ground her teeth together in annoyance at how close Naruto, her apparent cousin, seemed to be with Sasuke.

While Karin didn't blame Naruto, or hate the blonde haired girl, the red head certainly hated the bond that Naruto had with Sasuke. Neither of the former Konoha-Nin could be separated from the other for long, and they both fought side-by-side as though it were second nature. Karin may not dislike or hate Naruko, but she was certainly jealous of the girl.

"We head to Wave Country next to pick up something for Suigetsu, and then we'll drop in to Whirlpool to see what we can find."

Sasuke spoke to his group, receiving nods from all the members, including the blond that was currently standing from his bedspread. "I'm not sure how much we can gather, but it should be enough. We need to be careful in Wave however, they are allies with Konoha."

The warning settled among the group, which slowly was surrounded in silence.

I~~~~I

"I can't believe it's been two years Sasuke. It's changed a lot…though the bridge is the same as I remember it."

All of the nin turned toward the blonde as she stared at the giant sign over the bridge connecting the mid-lands with the mainland on Wave Country.

"The Great Malestorm Bridge…How nice of Tazuna-San."

Sasuke sighed and wound an arm around his blonde's shoulders, pulling her to his side as he started to go across the bridge. "What did you expect? For him to name it 'The Great Fishcake Bridge'?"

A scowl settled onto Naruko's features as she elbowed Sasuke. "Tch, Uchiha Bastard. You're just jealous because I have a bridge named after me, and you don't."

Sasuke's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to retort, only to be cut off by a shout from Karin behind them. "W-Wait, named after you!?"

Naruko turned around, squeezing out of Sasuke's grasp as she faced her fellow Uzumaki. Her hand was brought up to point at her chest while she spoke. "Yup. Naruto means Malestorm, my parents just added ko' because they wanted it to be feminine. I'm named after my Dad's favorite Book Character, a book written by my Godfather Jiraya the Gama-Sennin."

Suigetsu eyes widened in shock while Karin twitched. Jugo looked a little surprised, but he kept it hidden well. From behind Naruko, Sasuke's brow furrowed. "Wait, the perverted Gama-Sennin is your Godfather? How?"

Naruko turned to look at Sasuke while she stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"He taught my father. You know, that Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Where do you think I got my looks from?"

Sasuke's eyes grew wider than Uchiha's eyes were known to be, and he moved his mouth once without sound coming out, before gaining control of his voice.

"Y-You…You're the daughter of the Yondaime?!"

Naruko only slouched as she stared over the water at the trees.

"Yup."

Her tongue clucked on the roof of her mouth after she popped the 'p', her blue orbs gaining a soft lo0ok while she smiled.

"I met him too, really nice guy other than the fact he sealed Kurama inside of me, but I kicked him in the balls for it so everything's good."

Suigetsu and Sasuke both winced, while Karin managed a couple words.

"B-but that means…that you are like r-royalty in K-Konoha!"

Naruko turned back to her cousin, smiling brightly.

"I'd rather take the Whirlpool Princess Title from my mother, Uzumaki Kushina."

The three sane members of the group were unable to speak, Jugo and Naruko simply staring at them, before looking at one another. "Well…I'm taking Jugo to go look for a boat. Go get whatever you needed here and we'll meet up at the old Training spot for Team Seven."

And with that, Naruko dragged Jugo away from the group, leaving a sulking Karin, a shocked Sasuke, and a smirking Suigetsu.

"Heh…So does that mean that I can actually call Naruko Naruko-Hime?"

Sasuke swung his fist forward, slamming it into the unsuspecting water-nin's face. Suigetsu's head dissolved into water and he yelped in shock as Sasuke narrowed his spinning red eyes on his male partner. "She's mine, touch her and you die a _slow painful_ death."

 **And done. Finally, after about a week, I managed to get this one done. I'm hoping to work on a second part soon, but who knows. I really want to finish TLJ though, which may cut into writing my one-shots and anything else I have going on may also do that. Well thanks for reading, review if you have suggestions or questions.**


	6. VI- Kitsune and a Puppeteer

**Universe-Kitsune of the Blood Sands**

 **Main Characters-Sasori, Naruko**

 **Side Characters-Team 7(Minus Naru)**

 **Pairings-None?**

 **Warnings-Naru raised elsewhere, mentions of abuse, flashbacks, human Sasori, odd themes**

 **Origin-I guess this just came to mind when I was reading a Blead/Naruto crossover…it's kinda odd since it didn't even mention Sasori or Suna and I still got the idea for this, but yah.**

 **Background-Born the night of the Kyuubi attack, sacrificed for a village that didn't appreciate her, Naruko has always known the harsher realities of life. Nothing could prepare the Jinchuuriki however for the night of her 5** **th** **birthday when the snow was too much and the villages too unforgiving. The only thing that kept her alive, was the hand extended to her as she lay in the cold, those emotionless green eyes rescuing her from her fate.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, just the plot.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to the other amazing writers on this site.**

Normally, when the snow fell and the blissful icy chill followed Naruko was overjoyed. The young blonde loved the winter, maybe even more than the few people that love her and don't treat her like a nuisance. The reasons that Naru loved the snow so much were simple however, at least in her eyes. The snow represented something that was hard for even the optimistic child to think of. The snow remained white in a world of pain and horror, giving Naru hope for better people and better days. It reminded her that there was still something pure. Another reason was the cold. Naruko hardly felt the biting edge, but it still reminded her she was alive. This also meant she could wear her favorite scarf without getting too hot.

This time however, Naru was not looking forward to the white blanket that would cover the village she resided in. The first day of snow happened to be the worst day of Naru's life, one that she dreaded more and more as the years progressed. Today, the day of the first falling snow, was October 10th, Naruko's birthday, and the day of the Kyuubi Festival.

I~~~~I

"Get away from her right now!"

The call of a small female rang in the trees as small tanned fists sank into the faces of three unsuspecting boys crowded around a lavender haired girl with pupiless white eyes. Those same eyes were widened in shock as they registered her golden haired savior.

The little girl currently slamming her fists into the faces of the boys wore a small black coat with a red scarf wrapped tightly around her neck, her Azure blue eyes narrowed in annoyance and anger on the three offenders. Those same three looked at her as they tried to pick themselves up from the snow, their plain features and clothes now soaked through enough to chill their bodies.

"You little bastards think you can just gang up on a poor girl like that?! You call yourselves members of Konoha!"

The blonde haired girl shifted her feet as she readied to attack the stunned boys, her arms shifting into a loose stance. "Now leave, before I waste my time and your asses."

I~~~~I

Wiping a trickle of cold sweat from her brow, Uzumaki Naruko turned her attention to the lavender haired girl behind her, leaving the three beat up boys in the snow as she gave her a forced grin. "Hey, you alright?"

Hinata froze at being spoken to, her eyes widening as a hand was extended to her. "Sorry you had to hear that, it just bugs me."

Hinata could only nod at the girl as she took the offered hand, her body being pulled up a little roughly. "That should stop them for now. I'd head back to your home though, Hime-San."

Naruko raised a brow when she noticed the red tint to the girl's cheeks, before she herself shrugged it off and turned away, pausing to glance down at her ruined red scarf. A soft sigh left her mouth and she clucked her tongue near her top row of teeth while picking up the torn material. She gently folded it around her neck, ignoring the giant tear, before waving backwards at her little distressed Hime, vanishing with the wind.

I~~~~I

It didn't take long for Naru to reappear, sitting down on a bench near the West gate of the village. Her hands gently unwound the red scarf that she had been gifted with by a secret caretaker, her numbing fingers brushing the torn strands in a forlorn gesture. "Nothing ever lasts."

Her soft, sad voice whispered in the cold, the breath generating a form of mist around her mouth as she shivered. Her eyes felt heavy from the lack of sleep and the numbness in her body. It was odd for her to feel that exhausted, but after being kicked out the orphanage a month ago she couldn't help but grow weaker. Despite the circumstances though, Naru couldn't stop that one part of her that was always a hero. When the blonde had seen the defenseless Hyuuga Heiress getting bullied she couldn't stop her legs nor did she want to.

Hyuuga Hinata was an enigma to Naruko, always shy and flustered, never looking down on Naru or picking on her just because others did it or her parents told her to. In fact, Hinata's parents were also an enigma. Vaguely Naru could recall the woman Hinata used to walk with, her kind smile and her welcoming aura. She was of the few adults Naru trusted, and the only woman other than Ayame-Nee to give her food.

Naruko shook her head in order to refocus and get rid of the melted snow on her hair, her fingers retying the scarf around her neck as she stood. Her eyes looked toward the village, lit with lanterns in red and gold shades. Nothing bugged the little girl more than this day, the day that everyone celebrated and became even angrier with her.

October 10th, the worst day of Naruko's short life and the one that always made her warry. Naturally the girl tended to stay away from the town, confined to her too small room in the orphanage with no food and nothing to do. However, this year Naru didn't have anywhere to go. The Uzumaki was on her own, and she was scared.

Still, Naru ignored her feelings and her tightened chest, standing as the snow continued to felt her head. She turned and made her way further away from the village, unaware of the sets of eyes watching her back in hatred.

I~~~~I

It happened quickly at least. Naruko was grateful she hardly felt anything when the stalkers attacked with weapons and torches, burning her skin and slicing into whatever they could reach. They tore at her clothes and removed her shoes, burning the worn soles in front of her very eyes before leaving them on her skin to burn through the sensitive flesh. Next came the wires tied around her arms and legs, keeping her in place as her frightened Azure eyes watched on.

More cuts formed as the others healed over, several of the attackers whispering or shouting curses and profanities at the scared child. One, early on in the attack, had the smarts to retie the Uzumaki's scarf around her mouth, muffling the screams that they did want to hear but couldn't afford to at the moment.

When it ended, with hundreds of bleeding wounds, frozen and still healing, Naru could already feel herself slipping under the exhaustion. In front of her, several of the villagers and ninja that had attacked sneered, pulling away the scarf before lighting it beside her head, each one turning and walking away as another reached down and tore a Kunai through her cheeks. The woman that inflicted the six wounds chuckled, just before she too walked away. Naruko could say nothing, her vision blurred as she felt the cold sink into her skin, through her blood, down to her core. Everything hurt or burned, and then all of a sudden numbness started to spread. It started at the burns on Naruko's legs, before it grew to cover her limbs and chest, and finally, as her eyes were starting to close, her head.

Even though she couldn't feel though, Naruko could still see through her eyes. The vision of the snowy world around the Blonde was fading fast, but not fast enough to stop Naruko from seeing red as a hand reached down and gripped her own outstretched one. A soft smile slipped over her lips, sad but sweat as she mouth soft words as best that she could, before sinking into the pit of darkness.

I~~~~I

When Naruko awoke again, she was no longer in the snow but in a candle-lit room, her body resting on a comfortable bed as the soft taps of a quill against a desk echoed around her.

Her head turned in time to meet expressionless hazel eyes. The owner of the eyes had bright red hair in a short but spiky style that fell just above his eyes and ears. His skin was pale, giving him a delicate look when paired with his blank face. He wore a light tan cloak clipped at his neck, and Naru could barely make out the top of a headband behind the high-collar. "You're awake."

The man's voice was also delicate, but something about it drew Naru's attention and what little respect she had for adults forward. "Here, drink this." The male turned and pulled a glass of water from the desk, dropping in a pill of some kind that dissolved quickly, before handing it to the confused blonde.

The red head helped Naruko sit up, his gestures kind yet holding no real emotion of intention. He was gentle and still didn't treat Naru like glass, confusing her greatly as she stared into the glass of water with wariness. "It's only a pain reliever. Don't take it if you want, it'll just help."

Thinking too hard over whether to accept the drink had started a headache in the back of Naru's head, so she decided to throw caution to the wind. Why save a child if you only wanted to kill them with poison?

Naruko tilted and downed the glass slowly, never removing her eyes from the red head at her bedside. Once she had finished she handed the cup to the man, before leaning back against the bedframe. The man set the cup at his desk and moved across the room to a closet, his hands brushing over the drawers before pulling out a set of small clothes. "These should fit…Since the ones you are wearing are covered in blood."

The man set the articles down on the bed, walking toward the door leading out of the room. His hand reached for the door and opened it, pausing only when he heard Naru clear her throat. "Thank you." Her voice cracked from the dryness, Azure eyes once again meeting hazel as Naruko conveyed her thanks. "There is no need. You needed help, so I gave it."

The man left the room and a stunned Naru, closing the door behind him as the blonde mulled over her words in her head.

Sighing in order to distract herself a minute later, Naruko decided to pull on the clothes she had been leant, her eyes glazing over as she touched her cheeks. She winced as she grazed the sore skin.

I~~~~I

It was nearing 10 minutes after Naruko had been left alone when the man returned, carrying a tray of food along with some more pills for medicine. The man set the food beside Naruko on the bed, the girl having sat back down as she waited for the man to return. Her headache had faded enough now that she wasn't wincing every time she turned her head or craned her neck.

"These are just for healing…I was able to withdraw the poison from your cheeks so it didn't kill you, however…"

The man glanced back and Naru stiffened, her hand reaching up to gently brush her new scars. "I'm unsure of why, but the poison scarred your skin."

Naruko nodded to the man's words, glad and confused that he had actually tried. "Thank you…I-It's enough."

The man seemed to mull over her words before he motioned to the food and sat himself in the chair by his desk, his hazel eyes boring into her own as the light flickered. "Eat. While you are doing so, I'd like to know why you were attacked…"

Naruko paused at the words before taking a toast wedge, nibbling on it and drinking some of the warm tea to wash it down. She spoke after the tea had settled, her own eyes looking into the reflection of her face on the surface of the beverage.

"I don't know why they attack me. If you stay long enough though…You'll probably learn why. They are always whispering around me, and each time they get angry enough they attack."

Naru shook her head and smiled wryly before eating another bit of toast, glancing back up at the eyes of the male in front of her. "Who are you…Anyways?"

The man paused at the question, before he glanced to the side at the door and then back at her. "Sasori."

Naru's lips pursed at the lack of last name, noting in her head how two could play at that game. "Naruko."

Sasori nodded, his eyes gaining a glint at her lack of surname, before he stood calmly and reached over to Naru. She was shocked when her savior rested his hand on her forehead and looked deeply into her eyes, checking for any irregularities. "You seem healthy enough…If you want you can leave after you are done."

The blonde raised a brow but nodded to the red head, finishing her toast. "Okay, Sasori-San."

Sasori raised his own brow at the girl's honorific, before he turned and walked back to his desk to continue with what he had been doing before Naru had woken up.

I~~~~I

When Naruko had finished the last of her meal she stood and walked to the door, glancing back once at Sasori as she gripped the knob. She sighed softly and offered a practiced grin at the stoic man. "Thanks again, Sasori-San."

The blonde left too quickly for Sasori to reply, once again, that no thanks were needed. It was rather strange for the girl to thank him so much as well, especially when she didn't really know him. Sighing lightly without any real feeling, Sasori reached over and pulled open the curtains, gazing toward the Hokage Faces in the distance. It seemed that his stay in Konoha wouldn't be wasted that much after all.

Sasori looked down at the paper in front of him, pausing as he noted the seal he had copied off of Naru's stomach after cleaning the frozen wounds still unhealed. It was very similar to the one that his Grandmother had used on the One Tails, and yet it also looked more refined, more powerful. The seal answered many questions of the red headed man, including the reason as to why Naruko was attacked so badly a day ago when he found her.

Sasori turned his gaze back to the window, catching a flash of yellow hair as Naru darted past houses in the evening light, her movements looking on guard even from the distance Sasori was at. "A Jinchuuriki…Hmm, this will change a lot, Naruko-San."

The seemingly unaware Jinchuuriki didn't seem to notice a red haired shadow that followed her down the darkened streets of Konoha, his expressionless eyes watching for any sign of an attack.

I~~~~I

When Naruko arrived back at her house she was very surprised to find two ANBU waiting for her along with an old man. The Old Man seemed surprised and relieved to see her, especially when she launched herself at him in order to hug his legs. "Jiji-San!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen was an old man, but his age didn't affect his sharp mind one bit. As he looked over his granddaughter-figure he took in the clean smooth skin, the heathy flush, and the new clothes. "Naruko-Chan…Where have you been?"

The Hokage didn't get an answer in words, but rather in the new-found tenseness in Naru's muscles as she pulled away from him to look down at the ground, her hands at her sides. The behavior was odd coming from the blonde, and the actions made Hiruzen wary. "I-I just…I needed some air, you know? I'm sorry I worried you."

Both ANBU shared looks with their leader, all three of the Ninja knowing that the girl was hiding something from them. Hiruzen didn't really feel like questioning her however, and instead lead her into her apartment with a soft sigh. "Just don't do it again Naruko. Come on, why don't you tell me what happened to make you need some air."

The ANBU vanished from the spot, dismissed silently when the Hokage had taken Naruko under his arm as a sign of affection and protection. Neither of the masked elites noticed the hazel eyed Sand-Nin watching from a building a ways away, his fingers twisting to activate chakra strings, sending a small puppet with a relay seal on its back toward the apartment.

I~~~~I

Naruko was quick to ask the Hokage for tea, as well as quick to launch herself into the kitchen when he accepted the offer. She started the boiling water with the leaves inside and pulled out the two cups she normally saved for her visits with her Grandfather figure. Next she poured the tea when it had finished, setting it in front of Hiruzen before she too sat down.

"Naru, why on earth did you vanish like that?"

Naruko turned her gaze to her tea, sighing gently as she answered. "It was the 10th, Jiji-San. You know how everyone gets…"

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed at the wording the little girl used, his hand curled around his cup tightly as he thought about the last birthday the girl had.

"I simply hid out until it was over. I didn't return till now because I wasn't sure if it was…okay. I really didn't mean to worry you."

Sarutobi raised his cup and sipped the steaming liquid in his hand before speaking. "Just come to me next time, okay?"

Naruko nodded and flashed a forced grin at Sarutobi, drinking her own tea as silence descended on them both.

Nothing more was said the rest of the time the two spent in one another's company until Hiruzen had to leave, Naruko giving the older man a hug goodbye. She closed the door as he left, her eyes turning sharply to the left where a small puppet the size of a horse fly sat on her counter. The fly seemed to twitch, before Naru turned her gaze toward the figure slipping in through her kitchen window. "Sasori-San…"

Sasori was a little surprised that Naruko had not only sensed his puppet, but him as well. It was very rarely that children were born as capable sensors, and it seemed that Konoha's Jinchuuriki happened to be of the lucky few.

"Naruko-San. You seem calm despite me tailing you and eavesdropping on your talk with the Hokage."

Naruko only smiled sadly, turning toward the door where Hiruzen had left through.

"Dying would be a blessing for me around this time. What do you want Sasori-San? It's odd that someone I barely even met just randomly decides to drop by."

Sasori paused as he read the double meaning in Naruko's words, his hands falling to his sides as he leaned casually against the sink counter behind him. "Simple. I wanted to tell you something I know…and offer you a deal. One mistreated Ninja to another."

Naruko's eyes narrowed in distrust, wariness, and eagerness. Her hands twitched at the prospect of Sasori's words meaning what she suspected.

 **And it is finished. I decided to leave it at that because I wanted a good cliff hanger, and I have to think about whether to do another part, skip ahead in the universe, make in in sequence, that type of thing. I'm also working on the second part of Demoness of the Mist, which will feature Naruko and Haku's first mission in Konoha after being released from TI.**

 **Thanks so much for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing!**


	7. VII- Sand Over Waves I

**Universe-Kitsune of the Blood Sands**

 **Main Characters-Naruko**

 **Side Characters-Hiruzen, Team 7, Kabuto, Sasori, Team Gai**

 **Pairings-None?**

 **Warnings-Naru's not loyal to Konoha, Some Fluff, Mentions of Abuse, Teacher Kabuto, Chakra Control Explanations**

 **Origin-A crossover, my brain, and some really good music.**

 **Background-After her 6** **th** **birthday Naruko meets Sasori of the Red Sands, who offers her training and companionship in turn for information and loyalty. Naruko accepts the offer and continues on her path to becoming a Ninja while learning and growing closer to her new Sensei. Now she had passed the Genin Exams as Kunoichi of the Year and is on the mission to Wave country.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruko, but I own the plot.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to the song Disarm You by Kaskade**

Her head hurt, even with the special serum that Sasori-Sensei had made for her so she wouldn't grow annoyed in this particular situation. It couldn't be helped that the Uchiha Brat and the Haruno Banshee annoyed her however, since neither had learned when to _shut the hell up_! Naru's ears hurt from the screeches and squeals leaving the lips of her pink haired counterpart. Azure eyes were dangerously narrowed and a pale smooth hand itched toward the poisoned Senbon hidden in the blonde's belt. Ahead of her stood her Sensei, the Ero-Scarecrow by the name of Hatake Kakashi, and her client, a drunkard Bridge Builder by the name of Tazuna. Neither adult noticed Naruko's annoyance until she had finally snapped.

" _Would you shut your trap!"_

Naru shouted at her teammate and raised her hand with Senbon deposited in between her fingers, her breathing betraying her annoyance. Even in her anger, Naru remained a calm aura with a somehow lazy visage. Her eyes were the only thing that showed her annoyance other than her yell and twitching fingers.

Sakura froze at the deadly calm tone of anger that Naruko hardly ever used, swallowing air in fright as she shrunk under the heavy pressure Naru seemed to emit. Beside her Sasuke stiffened, and ahead of the three Genin Kakashi frowned.

"Naru-Chan, we don't attack our comrades."

Still narrowed Azure orbs met a singular gray eye, both piercing the other's as though they could win by sheer willpower alone. "If she'd stop cooing to the Uchiha, I wouldn't have to threaten her Kakashi-San."

No one missed the missing honorific for Sensei, but no one questioned it either. Sasuke and Sakura were used to it and Tazuna had heard the mentioned Uchiha call the man informally anyways. No one knew why Naruko was so adamant not to call Kakashi her teacher, but no one wanted to risk their health by asking.

"Naruko-"

Kakashi was unable to finish, a row a Senbon flying past his head to the path ahead, Naruko's eyes diverted from the Scarecrow to the puddle her Senbon had hit. Kakashi's eye was widened in shock before it darkened and he whisked around, watching as the puddle reformed into two men, Senbon embedded into their bodies as they jumped away. "Little brat."

Naru said nothing, her eyes losing the edge to them as she dropped into her normal nonchalant attitude. She briskly pulled Kunai from her pouches and sent them at the newly appeared enemies, shocking them and her team as the kunai sailed past their targets.

"Tch, that earlier throw was a lucky shot girly!"

Naru's fingers twitched and the kunai turned around, curving before they wrapped around the two men, catching them off guard.

The two fell forward as the ninja-wire controlled Kunai tightened, cutting into their furred clothing and scratching the metal clawed gauntlets on their hands. Naru pulled on the wire, releasing the chakra strings she had wrapped around it so she wouldn't waste any of her seemingly endless reserves. "Lucky shot, neh?"

I~~~~I

After apprehending the men and learning who they were, Kakashi set to work on what the Demon Brothers of the Mist wanted with a Konoha C-Rank Mission. This left Naru to suffer under the scowling of Uchiha Sasuke, the confusion and wariness of Tazuna, and disgust and horror of Sakura.

"Hn, what did you do blondie?"

The questioned girl only turned her head from her male Teammate in a sign of dismissal, her hands twisting around as she looked over and cleaned the Senbon she had removed from the Demon Brothers.

Sasuke glared as he was annoyed, his hand raising to grasp Naruko's shoulder as he spoke up. "What the hell was that Uzumaki?"

Finally Naru spared her teammate a glance, her hand slipping the cleaned weapons from her hands into their hiding places, effectively re-covering them in the numbing poison Sasori had helped her develop. Her Azure eyes remained cool and her appearance was composed, no part of her looking bothered by the questioning or demands. After snapping earlier the Jinchuuriki was making an effort not to snap again, even if it was a simple twitch of her eye. "That was simple my reaction Uchiha. I don't see why you are so interested."

Naru stood slowly, pushing against the knees of her beige cargo pants for support. She brushed the dust off of her pants and then crossed her arms, fingers brushing the sleeves of her light grey coat. The coat went to her stomach, before it was cut off to reveal the grey shirt underneath. The coat had the sign of the Uzumaki Clan etched in a sandy brown on the back, a thin fleece hood that could fold back at the front to make a face-cover, and was zipped up in the middle. A green ribbon was tied to her right wrist, and her headband rested around her neck. Her golden hair fell down over her ears and the spiky bangs partially split over her right eye, covering it mostly from sight. The ends went down at her nape, reaching her shoulders before cutting off.

Sasuke glared at the girl, uncrossing his own arms from over his blue high-collared shirt with an Uchiha crest on the back, his legs with beige shorts shifting ever so slightly into an offensive stance. His black sandals made slight skid marks on the ground, the sound echoing in Naru's ears do to her enhanced hearing.

Making a smart move, Naruko turned and walked away from Sasuke, ignoring him once more in favor of going to stand beside Kakashi as he looking at the stiff Demon Brothers, Mizu and Gozu. "What did you use?"

Kakashi spoke to Naruko as she stopped beside him, his grey eye glancing to her as she pushed her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "Just a paralysis serum. It's not too potent but it'll keep them down for another hour or so."

The Scarecrow nodded to his student, adjusting his slouch from on guard to more relaxed as his hand dropped onto Naruko's head. "Good job. I'm sorry for nearly snapping at you earlier. You need to learn to get along with your teammates though."

Blue orbs darkened as they gazed upward, blond hair falling over the right one as the left narrowed. "No promises, Kakashi-San."

I~~~~I

It was already mid-day, and Sasori was finding it to be very odd without his student. Thinking about the girl made him wonder if she was doing okay, and whether or not she had used the newest additions to their poison collection, the non-lethal and the lethal variety. Ever since he had given the choice to Naru after her 6th birthday the girl had fought to learn anything and everything he could teach her. The blonde's determination surprised Sasori again and again, making him recalculate everything he knew.

"Sasori-Sama."

Pausing in his testing of another poison, the addressed red head turned his head to catch the gaze of his most loyal spy, Yakushi Kabuto. The boy wore a simple black and white medic uniform with bandages strapping his Kunai holster in place at the left thigh. Glasses adorned Kabuto's nose, and his piercing obsidian eyes metal Hazel with a form of respect etched into them. Kabuto's unruly silver hair was pulled back into a spiked ponytail, keeping it from his eyes.

"Yes, Kabuto?"

Kabuto inclined his head at the addressing before he spoke, indicating his loyalty. "Word recently came in about Naruko-San's team. Their mission was upgraded to a B-Rank due to an encounter with the Demon Brothers of the Mist, Mizu and Gozu, and the Hokage has just sent forward a backup squad known as Team Gai to aid them."

Sasori paused, his head tilting to the side before he glanced toward the only other item on his desk non-research related. In it was Naruko standing beside Kabuto, her headband tied around her neck while she wore the new outfit the Silver-headed Genin had gifted her, Sasori standing beside them both, towering over Naru while standing mere inches above his older subordinate. Naru had a calm smile on her face, a rare sight that Sasori was slightly glad to have on camera. Kabuto was smirking, while Sasori remained almost as emotionless as ever, his eyes glinting in a way to show his rarely expressed amusement at the picture.

"Ask Hiruzen if you may go as well, since you have medical training and experience."

Kabuto vanished with two words.

"Yes, Sasori-Sama"

I~~~~I

It bothered Naruko when ninja were flashy, trying to scare away other nin with stupid intimidation tactics, such as the covering of mist that Momochi Zabuza had decided to use against Team Seven when they refused to give up the bridge builder.

"Heart, Lungs…"

Naru's hands desperately wanted to message her temples, but they were occupied in sending a row of poisoned Senbon at the area she sensed Zabuza's chakra building up in. When Zabuza stopped speaking, Naru counted out to five before flashing through hand signs, gathering wind chakra into her system.

' _When using wind chakra…imagine a grain of sand in the wind. It is split apart, alone for but a moment before it rejoins as the wind dies down.'_

"Wind Style, Wind Cutter!"

' _When you compress your chakra and push it out, it splits apart any opposing force for as long as it is strong, before that force is drawn back together as it dies out.'_

The large blade of compressed elemental chakra shot forward, slicing through the mist before the area it had went through was pushed apart, a shocked Mist-Nin left visible in front of Naruko's exposed left eye. The girl reached and drew a set of thin throwing knives with teardrop shaped wholes at the bottom of the handles, infusing the Chakra conductive metal with her compressed chakra before sending the blades after her opponent, discretely attaching Chakra chains to the holes.

' _You understand, Naruko-San?'_

Sasori's voice faded into Naruko's memories as she twisted her fingers and expertly guided her knives through the shocked water clone, before pulling them back into her grasp as she turned and attacked the one aiming for her comrades. The Mist surrounding their team started to condense once more, giving Naru a limited time to get her plan executed. Another splash of water indicated that her now hidden target was taken care of, and Naruko redrew her knives before turning toward the source of the battle.

After engaging Zabuza in a duel Kakashi had ended up trapped in a chakra condensed water bubble, water clones of his captor sent out to take care of the Genin since the Original was forced to stay put. "Demon of the Mist? More like Demon _Imposter_ of the Mist. If you truly were a demon…"

Naru trailed off and closed her eyes as her window closed, the mist surrounding her and her team once more as Zabuza and Kakashi listened intently for her to finish her sentence. Naru's eyes opened slowly, scarlet orbs with slit pupils gazing into the mist as a red chakra was channeled to them in order to give Naruko heightened sight. The chakra worked with her other senses, but Naru refrained from enhancing anything but her sight and smell since they were already super-human. "Then you would never have messed with another demon."

Naruko settled into her stance, summoning two clones as she twirled her knives once to re-adjust the grip she had on them.

Her blue chakra built into chakra strings that gathered around her in a sort of sphere, just before she kicked off from the land and started spinning around in the direction of Zabuza and Kakashi. The chakra strings followed the movements, forming a large array of sharpened threads that sliced through anything in their path, even the ground and the water. The throwing knives in Naruko's hands were let go carefully, the wire attached to them gripped as they added to the assault, each part of the attack aimed at a Mist Nuke Nin simply standing in place on the lake.

"Combination-Cartwheel Wind-Shuriken!"

The name was called out just as Naru broke through the Mist, her strings slicing a gash into Zabuza's wrist before the man easily separated from his jutsu. He backed away quickly, narrowly avoiding getting his arm chopped off as Naruko forced her hand into the water.

The blonde halted as her Chakra formed a firm grip on the wavering surface, her chakra strings falling away as her knives were pulled into her hands once more.

"Uchiha, Haruno!"

The calling was all the warning Zabuza got before he was hailed with Shuriken and Kunai by the two Genin. Both stood beside Naruko's clones, whom aided in the assault. None of the Narus displayed any emotion as Zabuza continually was forced back.

"You guys…"

Kakashi sighed from his spot, glancing toward Naru with a hint of worry in his eyes before standing and addressing Zabuza. "This ends now, Momochi."

I~~~~I

When Kabuto volunteered to go with Team Gai to back up Team Seven, he never realized that he'd be regretting not going alone. The ever enthusiastic Green Beast of Konoha was very loud, as was his little mini-me. Kabuto didn't seem to be the only one annoyed with their antics however, as the other members of the team were either glaring or sweat dropping at the scene playing out before them. "I'm so sorry, Kabuto-San. Sadly this is one of the better days…"

The addressed Silver haired Medic turned to cast a fake smile in the direction of Ten Ten, the weapons mistress of Team Gai. "It's alright. I'm just glad I get to aid Naruko-Hime."

Ten Ten raised a brown eyebrow, the two sideways buns bouncing as she jumped over another tree branch. She wore a green skin-tight tank top along with beige shorts, scrolls decorating her back and sides along with weapons pouches.

Behind her, her teammate Hyuga Neji shot forward, listening to Kabuto as he spoke. The Hyuga wore a beige multi-pouch jacket and black shorts, and both he and his female teammate wore their headbands on their heads.

"How do you know this Naruko, Kabuto-San?"

It wasn't either of the two Kabuto was jumping beside that asked the question, but Rock Lee, the Might Gai mini. He had his head angled back toward the other three Genin behind him, his thick black eyes brows raised enough that they nearly became a part of his bowl-cut hair. His eyes were quite large, and had a dark hue. He and his sensei both wore the same green tracksuits with orange weights at the claves and forearms. His orange headband was wrapped around his waist.

Kabuto chuckled lightly and scratched the back of his head as he jumped to another branch, answering in a light tone. "Well Naruko-Hime is my sparring partner. We've known each other since she was seven."

Team Gai seemed to contemplate the information, before Gai himself, an older looking version of lee, spoke up. "Alright my Youthful students, we are very close to Kakashi and his team should be, so be on guard!"

Neji and Ten Ten sighed in exasperation as Lee shouted out and pushed himself forward even more. Kabuto only pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose further, expanding his chakra outward.

He nearly stumbled when he heard the sharp cutting edge of wind, and saw a large expanding shockwave leave part of the forest near the beach not too far away. "That was a large Wind Cutter!"

I~~~~I

Blonde hair fell down over blue eyes as the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi watched Hatake Kakashi and Momochi Zabuza square off once more, shooting jutsu after jutsu at one another. Naru watched closely, noting the jutsu's used and cataloguing them in the back of her mind for study later on. She paused when she noticed that Zabuza had summoned clones, only to be copied by Kakashi a millisecond later. As Zabuza took the brunt of a water dragon, Naruko felt a fluctuating chakra enter the area, her gaze shooting to a tree. The chakra was warm, and surprisingly directed at Zabuza.

Reaching into her belt Naruko pulled out several Senbon, darting forward while Zabuza was distracted. She felt the chakra fluctuate again, and her lips twitched. Kakashi noticed her from the corner of his grey eye, and nodded at her as she swiped her foot, kicking Zabuza to the side.

The Mist Nuke Nin collapsed, turning sharply just as Naruko launched the Senbon at him. The tips were dipped in a thin coating of the paralyzing solution, just enough to last a couple hours if injected correctly. The Senbon hit their target, pushing into the arm of the mercenary as he grit his teeth. His dark eyes narrowed on Naruko's blue, anger and shock in them. "I wouldn't move-"

Naruko didn't finish her warning, her eyes shooting quickly toward the newly thrown weapons entering her vision, following them as they slammed into the Zabuza's neck. Her eyes narrowed on them, concluding they came from the fluctuating signature she had sensed before.

All the Konoha Nin, and their Client, turned toward the newly arrived nin. It was a teenage boy with long hair pulled into a bun, his bangs framing the sides of his white porcelain mask. The mask had the sign of the mist drawn on the forehead, and a long wavy red stripe drawn across the front.

"Thank you for weakening him, I have been chasing Momochi for a while…"

Naruko stepped backward, toward the downed Nuke Nin, just as Kakashi appeared beside him in a Shuinshin. Hatake pressed his fingers to the side of Zabuza's neck, searching for a pulse while his student narrowed her Azure orbs on the placement of the Senbon. "He's dead."

Despite the reassurance, Naruko still had a nagging feeling as she stared at the Senbon. What hunter nin used Medical Tools to in-capitate someone? After all, they had to dispose of the body right away.

"I'll be taking the body now…"

The boy jumped down from the tree he was stationed at, moving toward Zabuza's body. Naruko's mind snapped in that moment, and a kunai flew from her grasp to the ground right before the 'hunter nin's' foot. "He's not dead…"

Naruko spoke to Kakashi, shocking him as he pulled his headband over his sharingan. "What are you talking about Naruko, he doesn't have a pulse."

The tone of her commanding officer had a warning in it, but Naruko wasn't the least bit affected as the Hunter Nin in front of her reached and grabbed several more Senbon. "Tell your subordinate to stand down Hatake Kakashi, or I am not liable for what I do."

Naru only readied her chakra strings around her Senbon, her chakra growing heavy as it flooded the area. "Senbon? Quite the _precise_ way of killing someone…Especially since it's so easy to put them in a death like state if you have the right training."

The Hunter Nin launched forward, sending a kick toward Naru as he launched Senbon at Kakashi. Naruko tossed her own needles and deflected the thin metal weapons, her hand blocking the kick while she dropped down to avoid a punch. Kakashi launched forward to stop the Hunter Nin, but was too fatigued to grab him in time. The Hunter Nin dropped down beside his fallen comrade, pulling Zabuza's body over his shoulders before shooting off into the forest. Naruko shot up, moving to follow them both. Kakashi's hand resting on her shoulder stopped any movement however, his grey eye narrowed on her. "Stay."

Naruko turned and glared at him, just before he started to collapse. "Shit…"

Naru's eyes widened for a moment, before she dropped to catch her teacher, grunting as she set him on the ground. "Kakashi-Sensei!"

Sakura rushed over from where she had resided beside Tazuna and Sasuke, her shout making Naru twitch. "W-What happened?!"

Another voice spoke for Naruko, black sandaled feet landing beside Kakashi's body before a flash of silver glinted in Naru's vision. "Chakra exhaustion most likely. Naruko-Hime, tell me what happened. I'll try to heal anything I can."

"Kabuto-Kun?"

Naru's voice dropped slightly as she watched the medic nin force his chakra into his hands, making them glow green. The boy nodded at her, and she sighed gently as her shoulders dropped just enough to show relief. "Took you a little too long."

I~~~~I

"So, he's healed then?"

Naru spoke up from her spot beside Kabuto at Kakashi's bedside, Might Gai standing on the other side of his rival. Kabuto leaned back against the wall, breathing out as he relaxed. "Yes, he will be alright. Normally it would take a few days for him to recover, but I patched up his coils the best I could and gave him a chakra infusion. He'll be good to go in a day at most."

Naruko nodded at the boy, leaning back against the wall herself as she closed her eyes. Kabuto chuckled lightly and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, gartering a raised brow from Gai as Kabuto spoke teasingly to the blonde. "Still annoyed that nin gave you the slip?"

The Jinchuuriki scoffed at the statement, her eyes opening as she replied. "If Kakashi-San had let me go, we wouldn't be worrying about them coming back."

Kabuto only shook his head and pushed off the wall, dragging Naru with him. "Come on Hime, let's go notify your team about the good news. Then, we can start some training while we wait for Kakashi-Taichou to wake up."

I~~~~I

"You guys don't even know about the Tree Climbing Exercise? What is Kakashi-Taichou teaching you…?"

And irate voice spoke up, a silver eyebrow raised and twitching as Kabuto addressed Team Seven. Team Gai was currently guarding the Bridge Builder and his family, so that left Team Seven with time to train. Imagine Kabuto's surprise when he learned that Naruko's team hadn't been taught anything more than the basics, if even those.

"That's just…Naru-Hime learned it when she was seven…I learned it as soon as I became a Genin. It's one of the foundation Chakra exercises."

Sasuke and Sakura paused, staring at Kabuto in shock while Naruko leaned back against a tree, her eyes closed and her arms folded over her chest.

"What's so important about Chakra Exercises? Shouldn't you be teaching us something to help against Zabuza?"

Sasuke sneered as he glared at Kabuto, obviously disliking the male. Kabuto only raised a brow before sighing. "I wasn't ready to believe Naruko-Hime when she told me about you guys…now I have to believe what she said. Look Sasuke-San, Sakura-San, Chakra Exercises are the foundation of advancing in the ninja world. It is especially important for those that work with control demanding styles or weapons."

Kabuto raised his hand, displaying five fingers up.

"Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Bukijutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu. These are the basic styles that branch outward. You need to train your control and your chakra for Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Chakra based Bukijutsu like Naru-Hime's, and Genjutsu."

Silence descended on the clearing while Kabuto waited for the information to sink in, before he continued.

"In Ninjutsu Chakra Control not only makes Jutsu easier to cast, but it makes them cost less chakra and causes them to be more effective in the long run. This means more jutsu and more damage. It can also expand your reserves if done correctly. In Fuinjutsu you need the correct amount of chakra for each different jutsu, otherwise you'll make a seal way too powerful or way too miniscule. In Bukijutsu like Naru-Hime's, you need the correct amount of chakra to command your weapons and you also need to make sure you aren't wasting your chakra when you fuse it to your weapon, since that'll tire you out quickly. In Genjutsu you need precise chakra as well, and like Ninjutsu and Bukijutsu you tire out quicker when using more chakra, plus the Genjutsu will be more effective in the long run."

Kabuto paused once more, glancing toward Naruko. He smiled softly at her, just as her blue eyes opened. "Hey, Naru-Hime why don't you show them what I'm talking about?"

Naruko stood without a word, walking over to Kabuto. She stood beside him, before she pulled out a Kunai and turned toward the tree behind him. She settled into a stance and swiped at the tree with her kunai, creating an inch deep gouge in the bark.

As she did this, Kabuto explained. "You see, without chakra blades and weapons are still dangerous…but with the proper control you can infuse your chakra into the weapon…"

Naruko channeled her chakra into her dagger, before she swiped at the tree again, earning a shocked gasp from Sakura and widened eyes form Sasuke as the tree was cut a good three inches deeper. "And it becomes something else entirely. The more you fine tune your chakra so-to-speak, the easier and more deadly something like this can become. Chakra control isn't limited to just that though. I need very fine control to work with my Medical Techniques correctly, or my chakra might fluctuate and hurt my patient or me."

Naruko turned toward her teammates, leaning back against the tree she had just cut into. Her dagger spun in her grip, a thin chakra string inside the handle keeping it from flying away. "You can get started right away. Kabuto-Kun and I will be sparing."

It took only a moment before Sakura and Sasuke were at their trees, attempting to climb up them. It didn't surprise Kabuto or Naru that Sakura got to the first branch on her first try, but Kabuto gave her new orders. "Keep going up until you reach the top, and after you get that take a break before working on going up and down to build your reserves Sakura-San."

I~~~~I

Naru wiped sweat from her brow, staring upward at Kabuto as the boy panted heavily, arms above his head as he stood. "You've gotten better at controlling the amount of chakra in your limbs. I'm a little surprised that you managed to change your chakra to counter my chakra scalpels. You're elemental control is very advanced, even if you started early on."

Naru only nodded, glancing toward her resting teammates. Sasuke had managed to make it up around three quarters of the way by now, and Sakura had made it to the top and was going up and down to builder her control and reserves. "They are working hard, aren't they?"

Naruko still didn't answer Kabuto, instead sighing gently. "I think I'll work on my control as well…You have any ninja wire I could use? I left mine at Tazuna's place."

Kabuto chuckled and tossed a roll of the thin wire toward his training partner. The exchange caught the attention of Naru's teammates, whom inched closer as Naruko shifted into a medative seating. She rested her hands upward on her knees, and breathed out as she extended her chakra toward the lead string.

Kabuto raised a finger to his lips as Sasuke and Sakura arrived at his side, his dark eyes glinting as he watched Naruko focus on the roll of wire. Within seconds, the wire started to pull apart, Naru's fingers twitching slightly as she focused her chakra threads into pulling the wire apart, wrapping around the wire as she did so. She breathed out and continued, the wire slowly starting to unwind around her. The heavy warmth of her chakra started to flow outward, encasing her fellow nin as she sunk into her relaxed state.

"What is Naruko doing?"

Sakura whispered softly to Kabuto, careful not to try and break Naru's state. Kabuto only smiled and started to move away, pulling them along. "It's a chakra control exercise from Suna. It builds your elemental control along with your overall control. She is using Chakra Strings, a technique developed by Puppet Masters of Suna, in order to move the wire around. Her wind chakra is also pushing the wire apart, which gives it the illusion of floating around her. In reality, she's concentrating her chakra into a dense manifestation. She's been working on this for quite some time. I believe…for about 4 years. At first she could only do it to one wire, but now she's progressing fairly quickly. She still can't hold it for long enough to use in battle, but it helps a lot."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes on Naruko, biting his lip before her spoke. "So her affinity, it's Wind?"

Kabuto blinked and looked down at Kabuto, their voices now at a regular tone since they were well away from Naruko. "Yes…She's worked with Water and Fire a bit, but mostly sticks to Wind since it's her only Primary Affinity. Why do you ask?"

Sakura glanced between her two teammates, frowning when Sasuke's lips twitched when he spotted Naruko out of the corner of his eye. "Because my Primary is Fire."

I~~~~I

Kakashi nearly passed out from shock upon seeing Gai teaching his team some Taijutsu forms. Normally this wouldn't be a cause for alarm, however… "Gai, why are my students training hanging from trees? And how are they even able to walk along the branches, I never taught them the Tree Climbing exercise."

Gai only chuckled as Sasuke and Sakura launched themselves at Naruko and her clone, fighting with their different styles. Sasuke used his Uchiha Interceptor Fist, Sakura used the Academy Style, and Naruko used her own Swift Dance Style.

"Kabuto-San taught your youthful students how! He's teaching mine the Water Walking Exercise while they watch Tazuna-San. They've been at it like this all morning long…Their Flames of Youth burn so brightly!"

Kakashi twitched and looked at his students once more, taking in how Sasuke and Naruko would look matched in power for one moment, before Naruko would use chakra enhanced strikes to once again giant he upper hand. It annoyed the Uchiha, no doubt, but Kakashi could tell that Sasuke was still enjoying the challenge. This wasn't like Kakashi's spars that he put them through. They each were fighting at almost full strength from the looks of it. Naruko even seemed to have stopped holding back so much. This no doubt had something to do with Zabuza.

"Hmm, Kakashi my Rival, did you know that Naruko there is sparing partners with Kabuto-San? She and him have been friends since she was seven."

Kakashi turned sharply to Gai, narrowing his eyes.

"What?"

Gai nodded, looking serious for once as he centered his gaze on the Blonde enigma that had just downed Sakura, and was now working on getting a worn out Sasuke to drop off the tree as well.

"Kabuto-San said that she's quite important to him, and that he wanted to make sure to protect her. He also told me that she is very adept in control, despite her massive reserves…As well as the fact that she knows what she contains."

Both Jonin gazed at the blonde Uzumaki as she forced a kick into Sasuke that sent him to the ground. She flipped and landed beside him, extending a hand. Sasuke took it grudgingly, while Naruko set to work healing his wounds.

"He wouldn't tell be how though."

Kakashi could feel his head beginning to hurt, even as he felt the burning edge of protectiveness awaken inside his chest. Sandaime-Sama would have to hear about this.

 **I decided to end this snip bit here. I may just make a Part II, but no promises. I really like this universe though, since Naruko's abilities aren't very widely known. Unlike in my other plotlines Naru only has one Primary Affinity, but her mastery of Wind Elemental Chakra is the balancer there. Think of it as her Kekai Genkai, though it doesn't make it happen in a snap. She is adept, but that is from years of training from not only herself and Kabuto, but Sasori as well. The wind manipulation/Chakra Exercise that Naruko used is called the Wind Strings exercise, and It's spun from (Pun not intended) Sasori's ability to use multiple puppets with only two hands.**


	8. VIII- The Trust of Two

**Universe-Real World AU-TTT Universe**

 **Main Characters-Sasuke, Sakura, FemNaruto**

 **Side Characters-Itachi, Fugaku, Mikoto**

 **Pairings-Childhood Crush NaruIta**

 **Warnings-Team Seven Fluff, Non-Con, Real World, Fem Naru, childish Sasuke(OOC a bit?), Slight Crack(Craziness)**

 **Origin-Just one of those ideas that appeared and wouldn't leave**

 **Background-When Naruto was six and had just entered first grade, she met Uchiha Sasuke. When Christmas rolls around, Naruto's life changes completely all because of the Uchiha's**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto or its characters, just my plotline**

 **Chapter Dedicated to my crazy mind and my savior of a computer**

Naruto had never really had any friends her age when she was younger. She was an Orphan, and had a very different personality. She often heard the Matron at the orphanage call her constantly changing moods 'bipolar', but didn't dwell much on the fact until later. She went through preschool alone, and continued through Kindergarten the same way. It was only when she became a first grader that anything really changed.

A new student had come to school by the name of Uchiha Sasuke. He was a raven with onyx eyes, and he seemed quite shy at first.

In first grade, when you start out kids are allowed to choose a partner to sit with for the rest of the year. This person will help you with your work, any projects the teacher gives, and is to be your lunch buddy and elective buddy as well.

It only went to say, that when Sasuke transferred to Naruto's class, he would be her partner since she was the only one without one.

I~~~~I

"Class! Alright settle down, I have an important announcement!"

A brunette called from the front of the room, his hazel eyes drifting over the students while a small smile formed on his lips. He was a dark skinned male standing around 5'8" and had dark brown hair tied at the back of his head in a ponytail. A long scar ran across his nose, making the skin even darker.

Standing beside the man were two boys, one looking to be four years older than most of the kids, and the other the same age. Both boys had raven hair, onyx eyes, and pale skin. The older one was nudging the younger forward with a gentle smile, the younger looking around the room from his position by his brother.

"His name is Uchiha Sasuke, and he'll be joining us for the rest of the year. His family just moved here, so please welcome him."

The entire class chorused together after Iruka had spoken. "Welcome Sasuke."

Sasuke paused and stepped forward, bowing his head as a small blush stretched over his cheeks. Most of the girls in the class instantly gained hearts in their eyes, all except for Naruto.

The blonde haired blue eyed girl barely looked over her book to address the boy, knowing that he was like the rest of the children in her class. He'd ignore her because she didn't have parents and that was 'weird' so to speak.

Imagine the little Uzumaki's surprise when Sasuke's eyes caught hers, along with the older copy's. Naru returned the stare for a moment, before she looked toward Iruka as he began to speak.

"Alright Sasuke. We only have one table open for a partner, so you'll have to sit with them. Uzumaki, raise your hand please?"

Naruto slowly lifted her hand, the girls in the room turning jealous stares in her direction as Sasuke started to walk over, carrying his supplies with him. His older copy stood back, turning toward Iruka. "Alright Iruka-Sensei, I should head back to my class now. Tenzou-Sensei will be wondering where his student is…"

Iruka nodded toward the boy, dismissing him. Once the other Uchiha had left the room, Iruka walked toward the front of the class to call roll.

Sasuke took his seat beside Naruto's desk in the back, pausing to look at the book she was reading. "The theory of pranking?"

His voice was soft, unlike most of the kids whose voices squeaked or were too loud. Naruto couldn't help but reply, despite her silent nature when it came to people. "Yup. My name is Uzumaki Naruto by the way."

Sasuke paused and blinked, looking surprised about something, before he smiled at her softly and held out his hand. "Uchiha Sasuke. Let's be friends?"

Naruto could only stare for a few minutes, before her name being called snapped her from her daze. "Uzumaki Naruto?"

"H-Hai Sensei!"

Naruto gently set her book down and took Sasuke's hand, shaking it warily. "Okay."

I~~~~I

The year passed quite quickly after that, one thing leading to another as Naruto and Sasuke grew closer. The Raven got to see a lot more of Naruto's bubbly side behind all the odd books she read, and the Blonde in turn learned more about Sasuke and his fear of fangirls. Not even a week had passed since Sasuke joined the school and already he had a fan club. Another strange thing was that Naruto also had a fan club since she had started to show more of her personality, revealing herself to be a kind hearted but energetic person who just so happened to read quite a bit.

A month passed and Naruto revealed her status as an orphan to Sasuke, whom in turn told her about his family. He told her about his dopey cousin Obito, his brothers partner in crime Shisui, his parents, and of course his beloved older brother.

Sasuke adored Itachi more than anyone else in the world (well maybe not Naruto), and Naru could kind of relate, since she cared about Iruka-Sensei just as much. The man had helped her through school, and also volunteered at the orphanage.

Once another month had passed the two children got their first taste of snow, which led to monitored snowball fights on the playground, as well as snowmen and ice skating competitions. PE turned into running around in the cold before going in to watch a movie, music turned to Christmas plays and art led to many, many hand turkeys and folded paper snowmen. December rolled around, and when Naruto was just about to start planning her entire break alone, Sasuke and Itachi decided to ask her.

I~~~~I

"Naru-Chan!"

Naruto turned her head toward the voice calling for her, her eyes blinking away the white snow falling along her pale lashes while the bottom half of her face was bundled tightly in a scarf, curtesy of Iruka. A book was held in her wool gloved hands, and she wore a slightly worn black jacket that buttoned at the front and went down to her knees.

Sasuke and Itachi both were walking toward her, Sasuke leading his smiling brother. Both Uchiha's wore black jackets and red earmuffs, a white scarf wrapped around Sasuke's mouth. The raven haired boy was holding a bag with wrapping paper inside, Itachi holding another bag with tissue paper.

"Naru-Chan, w-what are you doing for Christmas?!"

Sasuke nearly shouted, panting out puffs of hot air as Naru looked at him with a raised brow. "I'm just staying at the orphanage, why Sasuke-Kun?"

A smile spread over the raven's face as he launched forward and took Naru's hands in his own, earning him a flushed Uzumaki. "Come to our house for Christmas then! My dad said it's okay for you to stay over winter break as long as the matron agrees!"

Naruto tried to work her mouth, staring at her friend in a shy form of embarrassment, before she sighed and resigned herself to her fate. "O-Okay."

I~~~~I

The matron didn't mind, glad that Naruto had a friend to be with for once. The elderly woman waved the two children off as they walked toward the parked car outside the orphanage, Naruko's luggage secured under her arm in a duffel bag whilst she read her book. Sasuke only rolled his eyes and took the bag, setting it down inside the car before he pulled Naruto inside, shocking the girl. Itachi sighed from his spot in shotgun, a giggle sounding from the driver of the car. "Sasuke, try not to manhandle Naruto-San so much."

The wording caused Sasuke to blush as he closed the door, Naruto's ears burning while she buried her face in her book.

"M-Mom!"

Sasuke nearly shouted, pouting slightly as the raven haired woman dubbed as his mother giggled again and started the car. Itachi only smiled and shook his head, catching Naruto's blue eyes as she looked over her book at him for a moment. Those eyes shined with gratefulness and mirth, a look he hadn't seen much as winter rolled around. Uchiha Mikoto noticed the two staring at each other and withheld another giggle, pulling out of the driveway at the orphanage before heading in the direction of the Uchiha Estate.

I~~~~I

When the car pulled up toward the large Japanese style house at the edge of town, Naruto couldn't stop herself from letting out a soft gasp of amazement. The driveway was recently cleared, the sides line with shrubs and snow, while the front of the house was framed by two trees. The house had a wrap-around patio and a blue tiled roof covering it with poles at each corner for support. Standing at the entrance of the house was a man dressed in business-wear. The man was Uchiha Fugaku, the father of Sasuke and Itachi. He had the same tear troughs as Itachi did, as well as the common onyx eyes, pale skin, and longer hair. Fugaku's hair wasn't long enough to pull back like Itachi's, but it still went past his nape.

The car pulled in front of the house and Mikoto turned it off, the kids all getting out. Itachi grabbed Naruto's bag before she could, offering her a smile. Mikoto walked over to her husband, nudging him slightly as he gazed down at the blonde and his eldest son. Mikoto had that look in her eye, one that spoke of meddling and matchmaking, whilst Fugaku only sighed gently. Sasuke had rushed over however and started tugging Naruto along, leaving the blushing girl to bury her face in her book while Itachi closed her door and walked up the steps.

"They'd be so cute together when she's older…"

Fugaku turned his gaze down to his wife as she smiled, and he allowed a ghost of a smile to appear on his lips whilst he wrapped an arm around her waist. "If Sasuke doesn't take her Mikoto."

His wife could only nod in agreement while the children entered the house.

The adults soon followed, stopping in the den to watch as Sasuke pulled Naruto this way and that while she hid her face in her book and barely looked over the top with her eyes to see what her friend was talking about, before going back to reading. Itachi ahd set the girl's things on the couch and was moving toward the kitchen to grab a snack.

"Itachi, Shisui and Obito said that they'd be over tomorrow. Obito is bringing a friend with him and Shisui wanted to talk to about a project at school."

Fugaku spoke up, drawing the attention of his sons to him. Sasuke's eyes widened and he smiled softly, shocking Naruto slightly when he whirled around to speak to her. "You get to meet Obito-Oji!"

Naruto smiled gently back at her friend, nodding as her eyes closed and she tilted her head to the side. All the Uchiha's present froze when her book dropped enough to see the bottom half of her face, a bright and content smile now present. Her hair fell down in soft waves, covering the side of her face as she spoke to a now blushing Sasuke. "I'm glad."

Mikoto's squeal broke the moment however, and she tackled the unsuspecting Blonde, hugging the life out of her as she grinned. "Too cute!"

Fugaku sighed gently, hiding his embarrassment as he looked off to the side. The Uzumaki girl was quite adorable, when she stopped hiding behind that book of hers.

Itachi's thoughts were along the same lines, but he shook his head and set the plate of cookies and tea on the family room coffee table instead of dwelling on it. "How about we play a game?"

Sasuke suddenly rushed off, Mikoto letting go of a flushed blonde whom took refuge on the couch next to Itachi while they waited for Sasuke to return. When he did, he was carrying a pack of cards. "Old Maid!"

I~~~~I

The night ended quickly, with everyone losing to Itachi and Naruto since Itachi had the ultimate poker face and Naruto had her blasted book. Fugaku called it a night and led Mikoto away while Itachi helped the two kids set up their air mattress while asking questions of Naruto.

"So how old are you now, Naru?"

Naruto paused at the nickname, before she tilted her head and tapped her chin, swinging her legs back and forth on the chai she sat on. "Seven now."

Sasuke shot up from his spot on the couch, pointing a finger at her.

"You told me you were six!"

Naruto nodded, raising her hand to show six fingers. "I was six when I met you, but I turned seven on October Tenth."

Sasuke blinked before he suddenly jumped up and stalked toward his friend. He stopped directly in front of her, drawing Itachi's attention as Sasuke spoke. "You didn't tell me that was your birthday! I would have gotten you a gift…"

Sasuke trailed off, frowning as he puffed out his cheeks, looking away. Naruto's eyes widened at this, and she sighed gently and smiled at her friend. "I'm sorry Sasuke-Kun. It's just I've never celebrated my birthday before…so I didn't think much of it."

The Uchiha brothers both shared a look, Itachi's eyes roving over the blonde that still smiled sadly. The girl really hadn't ever celebrated her birthday before, and she looked rather embarrassed over the fact.

"Why wouldn't you celebrate your birthday?"

Naruto blinked at the question, gazing at Itachi before she rubbed the back of her head. "Because it's the day I was dropped off at the orphanage."

I~~~~I

After Sasuke had a good long talk about Naruto and being happy, Itachi made the children go to bed before heading toward his own room. He stopped however when he heard a soft mumble, and turned to see Naruto curled in on herself. He sighed gently and walked over, gently brushing her hair to the side while he settled himself onto the couch, pulling a blanket over his body as he watched the blonde relax and cuddle against his brother. "Good night Naru-Chan…Outoto."

I~~~~I

Morning came quickly after that, the members of the house being woken quite early by knocking at the door. Naruto was the first to move, walking toward the door as she rubbed her eyes. Her hand reached and she opened the door, blinking at the sudden light as she focused on the figure in the doorway. "Yo, Itachi-" The boy stopped upon seeing her, his eyes widening. He looked to be about 10 or 11, Itachi's age. He had spiked black hair and onyx eyes, as well as a red hoodie and black sweats. He had red earmuff around his neck, and his hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

Naruto herself wore her walrus pajamas with her walrus hat hanging mostly over her right eye, her mouth opened in a tiny yawn while her blond hair fell down over her shoulders, hanging just past the small of her back in silky spikes. Her blue eyes were even glazed slightly from sleep.

Uchiha Shisui was shocked into silence at the sight of the tired blonde in the doorway, her soft voice calling out behind her. "Itachi-San…Someone's at the door for you-"

Shisui couldn't hold himself back, and in one swift movement, pulled the adorable blonde into a hug as he squealed in a 'manly' manner. "Kawai!"

Itachi and Sasuke both walked to the door to find a blushing Naruto being hugged to death by their squealing cousin, Sasuke's eye twitching. "That's my Naruto-Chan, get your hands off her!"

And in a similar manner, Mikoto and Fugaku were surprised when the stepped into the foyer to find Shisui arguing with Sasuke about whose blonde Naruto apparently was, said girl hiding behind Itachi while her ears burned.

Mikoto broke the fight with a giggle, looking down toward Naruto. "I see you've met Naruto-Chan, Shisui-Kun. Ahh why don't you come inside and I'll start on breakfast. Naruto, you want to help me out?"

Naruto jumped toward Mikoto at the chance of cooking, her eyes lighting up. "Please!"

I~~~~I

When the food had finished and everyone was sitting at the table, Shisui introduced himself properly to Naruto.

"I'm Uchiha Shisui Naruto-Chan, I'm the cousin of Ita-Kun and Sasuke-Chan. It's a pleasure to meet your adorableness."

Sasuke seethed from his spot and edged closer to his blushing friend, the girl nodding before speaking.

"I-I'm Uzumaki Naruto…I'm Sasuke-Kun's friend from school."

Shisui nodded and Mikoto started serving the food, Naruto helping pass it along as she took a couple spoons of rice, some fish, and several slices of stewed vegetables and eggs. She thanked Mikoto and closed her eyes for a few seconds before clapping her hands together and breaking up her chop sticks. The odd behavior didn't go unnoticed by the elders, Sasuke even joining in before the two started to eat. Morning chatter filled the room while everyone ate, Naruto telling the Uchiha's about herself and vice versa.

Once they had finished it was nearing ten, so Shisui and Itachi took Sasuke and Naruto outside to have fun in the snow while Mikoto cleaned the kitchen and prepared lunch. Fugaku went to his study after clearing the table, taking note of how Naruto had completely eaten everything she could on her plate, and how Sasuke had tried to do the same. He smiled gently before entering his office, turning to gaze out the window at the front yard where Shisui had declared a snow ball fight, taking Naruto as his teammate while Sasuke got his older brother.

Shaking his head at their childishness, the elder Uchiha sat at his desk and started to work.

I~~~~I

"Naru-Chan and I will beat you Sasu-Chan and Ita-Kun! Isn't that right my little blonde princess?"

Naruto blushed at the praise Shisui sung to her name, pausing to pull her gloves on while she formed a snow ball. "O-Of course!"

Sasuke pouted from his spot by his brother, before smirking evilly as he pointed at the offending team. "Fine, whoever wins gets to ask one thing from the losing team!"

Itachi raised a brow at his brother's statement, before being shocked when Naruto grinned the same evil grin. "Fine Teme!"

Sasuke blushed hotly and shouted back. "I'll win Dobe!"

A snowball suddenly sailed through the air, just before it slammed into Sasuke's chest, knocking the boy over. Naruto pulled back her raised hand, a smirk dancing on her lips as she closed her eyes in a smile. "What was that?!"

Shisui turned to his partner and grinned. "First Blood!"

Itachi instantly started to make more snowballs, dragging Sasuke toward the cover of a bush as he regained his senses. "Owe…"

Itachi only shook his head at his little brother. _'Foolish little Outoto…you never encourage the wrath of a woman, even a mini-woman._ '

I~~~~I

In the end, the two brothers lost and the Blonde and Raven duo won, each giving the other a high five in celebration. "Team Malestorm Crow wins!"

The Uchiha's looked toward Naruto with questioning, and in Sasuke's case also defeated, gazes. "Malestorm…?"

"Crow?"

Itachi asked first, Shisui following up.

Naruto nodded, smiling at them both. "My name means Malestorm, yah know. And Shisui-Kun is like a crow!"

She nodded to herself, happy with the analogy while the older kids laughed. Itachi stopped laughing however when Shisui suddenly smirked.

"So about that prize…"

Both brothers paled when they saw the twin devilish smirks, thinking the same thing.

' _Why did we introduce the Prank Mistress to the Prank King?!'_

I~~~~I

After finally agreeing on the prize, Itachi and Sasuke were made into servants for Naruto and Shisui. The decision was that either person could call their win at any time, but only once. Neither did for that day, and so the fun in the snow continued without further interruptions or bets.

Lunch came around, and while the younger kids were busy making Snow Angels, a black sedan pulled into the driveway. Itachi and Shisui blinked before hauling the kids from their snowy beds, leading them back to the house while they watched two people exit the car. The first was another raven haired male, wearing an orange and black jacket and black sweats. The second was a silver haired male with one grey eye, his left eye covered by a medical eye-patch. The bottom half of the man's face was also covered, only it was covered in a black facemask and a red scarf. The man had pale skin like the raven, and both seemed close as they walked side by side toward the house. Sasuke was the first to recognize the raven of the two, his eyes filling with glee.

"Obito-Ni!"

The raven looked up and gave a cheesy smile while he waved. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke rushed forward, tackling the older male while Naruto stayed beside Shisui and Itachi. Kakashi gazed at the child his friend was currently holding, raising a brow at Obito. Obito noticed the glance and chuckled while rubbing his head. "Sasuke, this is Kakashi. He's the friend I told your dad about."

Sasuke turned toward the silver haired male, blinking before looking back to his brother figure. "But he's old."

Obito couldn't help but snicker, Kakashi's eyebrow twitching as Itachi and Shisui walked over, Naruto tailing along.

"Sasuke…"

Itachi sighed at his brother's rudeness, turning toward Kakashi with a slight smile. "I'm Itachi, and that's Shisui."

Kakashi nodded, offering an eye smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Sasuke hopped from Obito's arms suddenly, rushing over to grab Naruto as she nearly dropped her book. The blond yelped slightly as she was put into the spotlight, Sasuke grinning as he placed her in front of Obito. "This is Uzumaki Naruto, Obito-Ni! She's my friend."

None of the Uchihas expected what came after Sasuke introduced the blonde haired blue eyed Uzumaki.

"M-Minato…?"

Both Obito and Kakashi were looking at Naruto as if she were a ghost, their eyes widened while they stood still. The world seemed to stop around them, Naruto's questioning blue eyes raised to look at the two adults.

"H-How do you know the n-name of my dad?"

I~~~~I

There were two important details Naruto never told Sasuke about herself. Those two things were the names of her parents, scribbled on a poorly written letter to the orphanage when Naruto was left there at a year old. The letter merely said that certain things had happened, they were sorry, and that Naruto's name was Uzumaki Naruto and she was the daughter of a man named Minato and a woman named Kushina.

Naruto didn't want to worry Sasuke or make him dwell on the names. She was fine simply knowing she had parents, and that they hadn't abandoned her. She had no recollection of either of them, nor did she have a picture. All she had was the poorly written letter, the names of her parents, and the knowledge that she had meant something to them.

I~~~~I

Things progressed quickly after that revelation, one thing leading to another until Fugaku and Kakashi hauled Naruto toward the police station Fugaku was the Chief of, while Obito rushed toward the Orphanage to get more information. Sasuke, Shisui, and Itachi were left at the estate with Mikoto, all three wondering just what was going on and what it had to do with Naruko.

When the men finally returned, Naruto was crying in Kakashi's arms as he held her close, whispering how he was sorry and would never let her go so long as he lived. Obito trailed behind, panting as he held several bags of things along with records in a manila envelope. Fugaku was the last to enter, his face darkened but still somehow relief was present. He nodded to Mikoto and the children, leading them all into the kitchen while Kakashi took Naruto to Obito's guest room down the hall.

Fugaku sighed heavily and took his wife's hand, looking around at the four pairs of onyx eyes directed at him. "I'll start from the beginning…Naruto is the daughter of Namikaze Kushina and Namikaze Minato, old friends of our family and the ones who took in Obito and his friend Kakashi when they were children without a home. It was about 8 years ago when Kushina announced she was pregnant with Naruto. However…"

Fugaku paused to look at his wife, noting her glassy orbs. "Minato and Kushina died in a car crash after Naruto's first birthday. Naruto vanished without a trace. The police searched but we couldn't find anything but a simple note stating Naruto would be safe and that they were sorry. It appears that the hole crash was a hit and run, and the person took Naruto because they didn't want her to die. It only made it worse when the person gave Naruto to an orphanage with a false name…"

Sasuke gasped slightly, eyes wide. "F-False name, you mean her name isn't Naruto!?"

Fugaku nodded at his son before continuing. "Naruto's name is Namikaze Hosha Naruto…we barely missed her."

Silence descended upon the room, before a soft mutter drew their attention to an exhausted Obito. The male brushed his hair back, looking toward his uncle. "Thank you for the help sorting this mess out…Kakashi managed to but Ho-Naruto to bed and I'm going to fill out the paperwork for Kakashi to Adopt Naruto while he rests. This whole thing is both a blessing and a curse…I'm just glad we found her though."

Obito smiled gently down at Sasuke, leaning to ruffle his hair. "You found quite the friend Sasuke. Hold onto her, alright?"

Sasuke didn't even pause to think before he nodded sharply. "Always."

I~~~~I

It was almost midnight, but Naruto just couldn't go back to bed. She sat outside Obito's room on the wrap around patio, her eyes gazing into the inner rock garden before her. The garden was covered in snow, the koi pond frozen over.

From behind her she heard footsteps, her head turning in time to see Sasuke's tired face.

"Naruto-Chan? What are you doing up?"

Naru looked back toward the garden with a sigh. "I can't sleep…too much going on I guess."

Sasuke frowned slightly and dropped down next to his friend, looking at her as she gazed off into space.

"Aren't you glad?"

Naruto bit her lip and sighed once more, bringing her bare feet up as she wrapped her arms around her knees. "Yes, of course I am. I'm so grateful to have a family…b-but I don't want to lose what I h-have, y-yah know?"

Sasuke noticed the wavering in Naru's voice as well as her watering eyes, and he stuck out his hand. Blue eyes widened in shock while Naruto turned her gaze toward him.

"W-What-?"

Sasuke spoke before Naruto could finish her question.

"Then let's give you something that will always remain the same. To care for one another for life, to do what we need to in order to make the other happy and stable. To be there, when no one else will. Together Naruto, for those that care."

Naruto's mouth opened to reply, before a sigh left and she gripped his hand in hers. "For those that care…"

 **And done. I wanted to end the it at a happy note after the crazy 'your my sensei's daughter!' ordeal. Next one will be with Sakura. Also, that saying at the end will be abused, trust me.**


	9. IX- Sand Over Waves II

**Universe-Kitsune of the Blood Sands**

 **Main Characters-Naruko**

 **Side Characters-Kabuto, Sasori, Team Seven, Team Gai**

 **Pairings-One-Sided hints at SasuNaru**

 **Warnings-Mentioned Abuse, Fangirlism, Darkish Naru, Suspicious Jonin**

 **Origin-Derived from my lingering love of Bleach, Naruto, and the Akatsuki**

 **Background-Uzumaki Naruko's worst C-Rank mission ever just so happened to also be her first A-Rank Mission. The Demon of the Mist and his little apprentice had caught Naruko's ire after trying to trick her and her team, and now she was just itching to get back at the bastard little Hunter Nin.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, or Naruko. Sasori might…or Sasuke.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to Orpheus Kidwell, whose story Red Sands has caught my attention lately. (Check it out!)**

' _Focus…Let go of our emotions, of the world around you. Depend only on yourself, and your chakra.'_

A deep breath in, another softer one let out seconds later. Twitching small tan hands, and a soft whistling braking through the air.

' _Watch as it bends to your will, force it to obey until it becomes second nature.'_

The trailing of thin chakra threads drifting around a comfortably sitting blonde. Closed blue eyes moving behind their eye lids.

' _And use it, as though you own it.'_

Twisting, turning. Tumbling trails of Chakra winding around the still form of Uzumaki Naruko, forced to dance to her will as they move around her.

' _Very Good, Naru-San.'_

Blue eyes opened as a soft smile lifted lazily on the Kunoichi's lips. It was second nature by now, learning to control her Chakra Strings that is. She had taken to the art ever since the first exercise Sasori-Sensei had taught her, and it was only after they did more research on her heritage that they figured out why. Amidst the many files, the useless copies and hundreds of profiles, Naruko had found knowledge on her clan and it's Kekai Genkai like abilities. The Uzumaki were quite infamous around the world.

Uzumaki blood was special, known for its long life and the very deep connections to chakra. Naruko herself had the deep connections to both spiritual and physical chakra, however her spiritual was limited to Yin and Yang release when used with Medical Ninjutsu. Her Physical however, had grown leaps and bounds. She always trained with it, and by doing so had made it incredibly easy for herself to improve.

When it came to her chakra threads however, there was a specific reason for her aptitude with them. She had her mother's Kekai Genkai, the Adamantanchen, or Adamantine Chains. Of course, Naruko's version was actually Suchiruchen, or Steel Chains. This is why her threads were so easy to control, since the creation of her chains was the same process as using the strings. It was hard at first not to create the actual chains, and instead seemingly invisible threads, but by now it was also second nature.

"That's quite the technique you have there, Kunoichi-San."

Naru's head didn't turn, her body didn't move. She merely closed her eyes once more and breathed out some words. "What do you want, Hunter Nin?"

Haku smiled from behind Naruko, holding his basket of herbs. "My name is Haku, and I wanted to talk."

I~~~~I

Kabuto was more than a little surprised when Naruko returned from her training, covered in dirt and scratched slightly, with a light smile on her lips. The smile was one he had only ever seen around Sasori-Sama, and other than that it was nonexistent.

"Naruko-Hime, what happened?"

Naru turned her gaze to Kabuto, the smile fading away into the depths of her eyes as she moved past him. "Just a little spar…I'm heading to get cleaned up and then I'll head to town with Tazuna-San and you."

Naru didn't wait for an answer, disappearing down the halls while Tazuna raised a brow from across the table at Kabuto. "What's with Sunshine? She's normally all melatone."

A light chuckle left Kabuto's lips. "Naruko-Hime loves a good fight."

I~~~~I

After Naruko had finished her shower she, Kabuto, and Tazuna all left toward the small town for groceries.

The town was nothing more than a scrap heap with overpriced junk. Orphaned and starving children lined the streets beside the homeless, said children begging people for scraps of food. Naruko felt her hand clench in anger as she surveyed the damage dealt by a money hunger business man.

"Naruko-Hime…"

Kabuto whispered into her ear, and she relaxed as she glanced upward at him. Her blank eyes expressed what she needed to. The silvernette nodded to show he understood, his glasses reflecting light as he brushed his hand over her arm. "We'll fix it."

Another nod was given, before Naru felt a tug at her pants. Her eyesight was directed downward at a little girl, covered in dirt, holding out her hands in a gesture of hunger. Naruko felt her chest clench, images of herself in the girls place flashing in her mind. She crouched down, and reached into her back pocket. "Hey kid, you hungry?"

The little girl nodded and Naru's lips lifted slightly as she handed over a sack of ryo, enough for a good week or so. "There, take that and get yourself some food. Don't hog it to yourself though, help out some others, okay?"

The little girl's eyes went wide as she took the sack of cash, before those same eyes watered and her grimy arms shot around Naru's front. "T-Thank you M-Mam!"

Naruko awkwardly patted the girls back and ruffled her dirty blonde hair, before the girl pulled away and ran toward an alley where several other children were at. They waved while Naruko stood, causing her to wave back. "Isn't that you D-rank pay?"

Kabuto spoke up from behind Naruko, the girl turning back to walk alongside him and Tazuna. Both men were watching her in shock as her smile turned sad.

"I've dealt without cash before Kabuto-Kun, I at least can survive."

I~~~~I

"Why do you try?! You can't beat Gato!"

Azure eyes drifted uninterestedly at the little brunette boy sitting between Tazuna and Tsunami from across Team Seven and Team Gai at the table.

"He has an army of Samurai, you guys are just brats, how do you expect to do anything?!"

Pale lips withdrew stale air before letting it out in a heated breath. All around the dining room silence and tension had taken hold.

"We are Ninja, we will do our utmost to complete our mission in a youthful manner!"

The boy only grew more annoyed when Rock Lee spoke, drawing attention to the twitching hands of a certain Uzumaki.

"Shut up!"

The little boy shouted, standing abruptly.

"You are all so cheerful, acting like nothing's wrong! You don't know anything about pain and sorrow! You are all so spoilt, you've never seen dea-"

Inari's rant was abruptly stopped by the calm voice of Kabuto.

"And you don't know anything, brat. You say that we have not experienced such trials and everything is perfect for us, correct? You are wrong…"

Kabuto's finger pushed up his glasses as he leveled a dangerously void gaze on Inari.

"Sasuke-San watched his clan get murdered before his eyes by his older brother, Kakashi-Taichou was forced to leave behind his teammate and had another commit suicide using him, Lee-San has fought every day to one up those who doubted him and still do, Neji-San had his father killed because he protected the clan heir, I know nothing more of my childhood than the fact that when I woke up nine years ago, I woke up surrounded by corpses murdered in the most brutal manner."

Kabuto's lips twitched while everyone stared at him in shock, his hand coming up to rest under his chin before he continued.

"And then there's Naruko-Hime, who constantly struggled throughout her entire life. She was orphaned at birth, given the greatest burden, ignored by the orphanage, scorned by the adults, attacked by the children, mistreated by her peers…Her first house was set ablaze with her inside, and on her 6th birthday-"

Abruptly, Naruko's fist swung around and slammed into Kabuto's face. She then stood, turned to Tsunami and bowed. "I'm sorry for his behavior, and thank you for the food."

Her hair fell over her eyes as she rushed out of the house, Kabuto pulling himself up as he sighed. He pulled his broken glasses off his bleeding nose, and held his hand up to heal it.

"I'll go after her."

Kabuto stood and walked out after Naruko, Kakashi standing and following right behind him. The others remained, shocked to silence.

"H-He's lying…r-right G-Gai-Sensei?"

Sakura was the first to speak, her glassy green orbs looking toward a stoic Gai. The Jonin only sighed. "What Kabuto-San said…it only brushes the surface of what Naruko has had to deal with."

I~~~~I

' _Breath out, allow yourself to let go.'_

A soft whistle of air, flowing from the lungs of a blue eyed female. Small hands grasping onto the daggers in hand while muscles relaxed.

' _Allow the flow of nature to guide you.'_

A drop in temperature, the wafting of heavy air under blonde locks while black sandaled feet shifted on the wooden boards underfoot.

'" _So, give in?"'_

A change in tone, and then, the parting of the blades and the sailing of sharply waves of chakra, rushing over the surface of the water.

Uzumaki Naruko focused as her daggers sailed over the water, guided by her chakra toward a tree on the other side of the beach. Behind her the sounds of hammering and sawing were heard, brought about by the many men working on the bridge Naru stood on.

"Tazuna…Listen I can't continue this."

Naruko turned her head, tugging her daggers back with chakra strings as she started walking toward Tazuna and another worker, one of which whom looked guilt.

"What, come on you can't be serious! Are you quitting on me too?!"

The man rubbed the back of his head and looked at the ground, stepping away. "I have a family Tazuna, I can't endanger them by doing this…You should stop too, for Tsunami and Inari!"

Tazuna's eyes narrowed on the man, and he turned around sharply. "Go. Don't bother showing up tomorrow either."

Naru watched the man walk away, stepping up beside Tazuna before addressing him.

"Tazuna-San…Do you need help?"

The old man looked over at her, his eyes showcasing his anger and growing defeat.

"Yes, but you have to stay on guard…"

Naruko shook her head, and raised her hands in front of her chest. From across the bridge at his post, Kakashi and Sasuke both looked up in time to watch a dozen clones appear on the bridge. "I can guard and they can help. If you need any more just ask, I can do around 500 for four hours straight."

The girl turned before she could notice Tazuna's dropped jaw, or the incredulous looks she got from her teammate and teacher.

Kakashi was wondering just how the hell Naruko knew the shadow clone jutsu, and Sasuke was wondering how the clones were solid.

The clones themselves didn't need orders, merely set to work helping where they could, using their chakra strings to aid in heavy lifting and grapping things farther away.

' _Just how much of your abilities are you hiding…Naruko?'_

I~~~~I

"So, you want us to give up working for Gato and come work for Sasori instead?"

Kabuto nodded from beside Naruko, whom was seated on a log in a medative stance. Before the pair was Zabuza and Haku, Momochi being the one who had asked Kabuto the question.

"And what benefits are there to such an agreement?"

Naruko's eyes opened as she answered the Demon of the Mist.

"Sasori-Sensei would offer protection, payment, jobs, and information in exchange for your cooperation. There is also the fact that you won't die the next time you go against our team, and that you can kill Gato before he betrays you."

Kabuto pushed her glasses up his nose as he turned toward his partner. "Oh Naru-Hime, you mentioned that? I thought you wouldn't tell them what Gato planned to do?"

Naruko gave the boy a glare as he smirked down at her, her hands extending outward as she let her legs un fold. "Shut up before Sasori-Sensei ends up with one less spy."

Kabuto raised his hands in a placating gesture, ignoring the wide eyes of Haku and narrowed gaze of Zabuza.

"What do you mean, Gaki?"

Naruko turned her gaze back to Zabuza, leveling her gaze. "I mean as I said, Gato is going to betray you so he doesn't have to pay you. He hopes that you'll kill us and we'll kill you, then he'll swoop in with his cattle-fodder and take over. Of course, he doesn't know that we have another team, or that I can summon 500 clones to help if we need to. He may have his disposable army of flesh bags, but I have an army of _solid copies_ that are really dispensable."

Kabuto kept his smirk, leaning over to ruffle Naru's hair and get eye to eye. "Yes, she's our adorable little walking army. Did I mention that little Naru-Hime here has a Biju inside of her? Really, what chance do you have against 500 Jinchuurikis?

Zabuza paled considerably at that fact, blinking over ten times at Naruko.

I~~~~I

Blood spattered around the area, a hum leaving the lips of Kabuto as he held up his glowing blue hands. Naruko stood behind him, near Zabuza and Haku but still in front of the Konoha teams. "W-What…?!"

Form behind them Kakashi spoke up, his eyes widened at the scene before him. Before any of them had even arrived, the Mist Nuke Nin had lead Gato to the bridge where Kabuto and Naruko had stood guard. When Gato tried to get Zabuza to kill the two, Kabuto had instead attacked, killing the man with a jab to his chest using a chakra scalpel. After that, hundreds of thugs had attacked them due to the loss of their meal ticket, which led to all four nin engaging in a blood bath.

Everyone's jaw dropped when Kabuto waved, covered head to toe in blood, and smiled at them. "We took care of Gato and his thugs. You're a little late Taichou."

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched in irritation as he sweat dropped and rubbed his head. "How did this happen…and why are Zabuza and his tag-a-long with you?"

Naruko paused to wave her hand, activating the seals on her chakra as her chakra strings brushed them. In seconds the chakra was clean, the blood repelled onto the ground below her, the Zabuza who stood behind her. Naruko was now clean, her skin practically glowing from the slaughter she had participated in. Her eyes met Kakashi's lone grey eye before she tried to explain. "Gato was going to betray them…so they asked to help us get rid of him. We made a truce and well…Tell Hokage-Sama I'll do the extra paperwork."

I~~~~I

"So, you completed your first C-Rank mission Naruko-San?"

Naruko only shook her head at her Sensei while standing in front of Sasori, allowing him to look her over.

"No, Sensei. Hokage-Sama marked it as an A-rank mission, and gave us the appropriate pay."

Sasori raised a single red brow, before stopping in front of his student. His eyes gazed upward at the two men standing in his doorway, and his silver haired spy. "Demon of the Mist, and an Ice Release Ninja? It seems you have some explaining to do, Naruko-San."

Naru nodded, setting to work with a professional briefing of the Land of Waves Mission.

 **And finished. I didn't really want the ending to be all serious after Kabuto told off Inari and got punched in the face, so I rushed it a bit and made it so that it seemed more dramatic and a little 'wtf!?'.**

 **Yes, Zabuza and Haku lived, Haku is a boy, and Haku will be taught by Kabuto. Kabuto doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut, and Sasori has some new spies.**

 **Thank you for reading, please Review your suggestions for new One-Shots!**


	10. X- The Trust of Three

**Universe- Real World AU-TTT Universe**

 **Main Characters-Sasuke, Sakura, Fem Naruto**

 **Side Characters-Kakashi, Obito, Itachi**

 **Pairings-**

 **Warnings-Team Seven Fluff, Fem Naruto**

 **Origin-The confines of my mind, to be completely honest.**

 **Background- When Naruto was six and had just entered first grade, she met Uchiha Sasuke. When she turned 8 and moved to Konoha during third grade along with the Uchiha Family, she and Sasuke met Haruno Sakura. The first day passes quickly, and before they knew it Sakura was being invited to dinner at Naruko's house.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, only this plotline and series of drabbles.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to the TTT Universe…Which I really like for some reason.**

It had been a while, though neither child truly noticed with all that was going on. Sasuke and Naruto were caught up in their family's whirlwind as Uchiha Corp set up a new headquarters in a town quite a ways away, called Konoha. This change led to the family choosing to move, dragging along the newly settled Papakashi(A name Shisui had managed to get Naruko to call her adoptive Father) and Obito.

The two children hadn't minded the change, used to sticking to one another most of the time. They had few friends outside of themselves, and really the only person Naruto really thought she'd miss was Iruka, whom she had grown even closer to. Things looked up however when a position at Konoha Academy mysteriously opened up with Iruka as a recommendation. Naruto didn't let go of Kakashi for quite a while after that, and she also made a cake to show her thanks to her guardian whom she knew had a hand in the job.

Things went pleasantly and the large family moved a month into the school year. Naruto and Sasuke were still constantly by one another's side, especially after the revelation of Naruto's identity.

They now entered into the third grade under a new teacher in a new school, one month into the year.

I~~~~I

"Naru-Chan…"

Sasuke sighed heavily as he looked upward at Naruto and her ever persistent 'Uncle' Obito. The Uchiha was currently trying to get Naruto to wear her hair down with a nice butterfly clip for her bangs, but the girl was having none of it. Her hair was longer now, passing the nape of her neck all the way to the small of her back. The silky locks were bound into a tight braid however, keeping them out of her face.

"Obito-Ni, we need to get going or we'll be late!"

Obito froze, turning sharply toward Sasuke as he yelped. "N-Nani?!"

Naru nodded at Sasuke in thanks, rushing to grab her dark blue book bag sitting on the couch while Obito ushered the two kids outside to his sedan. From the kitchen a certain Silvernette sighed heavily, shaking his head with a smile present on his un-masked face. "It's a good thing Naruto set the alarm and hour earlier…"

I~~~~I

"I can't believe you tricked me Naru-Chan."

Obito sulked from behind the two children while Naruko shrugged at her Uncle figure, turning toward Sasuke and a smiling Itachi and Shisui. Both boys shared looks, Shisui catching Naru's small blush when Itachi asked her if she was excited. Sasuke also noticed the display of affection, his eyes narrowing slightly on his brother in jealousy.

"Uchiha-San, we really should get the kids to class now."

Obito blinked and his cheek heated up as he turned toward the person who had spoken. The woman was a kind looking brunette with purple triangles on her cheeks. She had soft hazel eyes and seemed to pay Obito as much attention as he did her, which was most of it. Naruto let her lips twitch as Obito nodded, agreeing with the woman in a flash. "O-Of course…I-I should p-probably get going now…"

Shisui snickered from beside Itachi, earning himself a scowl as Obito left the building, Nohara Rin left giggling in his wake. "Oh my."

Naruto only sighed and took hold of Sasuke's arm, her eyes darkening slightly as Sasuke lead her down the hall in the direction of the lower grades. Itachi smiled gently at the children and followed while Rin took to the front of the group, humming gently to herself as Shisui took his spot beside Itachi.

"Neh, Naru-Hime, you excited to be in a new school?"

Naruko hummed gently as she looked over her newest book, glancing back over her shoulder at Shisui as she spoke.

"Another Library I suppose."

Shisui sweat dropped while Sasuke frowned at the implication that Naruko would be spending more of her time with the blasted books again. If there was one thing Sasuke loathed more than being poked in the forehead or watching Kakashi giggle into his own perverted book, it was watching Naruko become fully engrossed in whatever strange book she was reading.

"You should try to get more involved than just working with books Hosha. Why don't you try joining a club or something?"

Naru's face became even more hidden in her book titled _'Works of Achitecture in Food'_ as she went over what Itachi had suggested.

"I-I suppose joining a club couldn't be too bad…"

Sasuke and Shisui both looked at Itachi sharply as he smiled at Naru, thinking along the same lines.

' _Every time, it never fails…'_

Rin laughed lightly from the head of the group, pausing to stop at doorway. "Alright, Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Naruko are here."

Naru's eyes snapped over her book toward the door Rin pointed toward, Sasuke clutching her hand tighter as he pulled her toward the front of the class.

Inside the students were just starting to call roll when the teacher spotted them, his brown hair framing the sides of his pale face in a spiky mess, a simple green shirt covering his body along with black dress pants.

"Oh, Nohara-San. Are these the new kids you expected?"

The man walked over, drawing his class' attention as he stopped in front of both Naru and Sasuke.

"Yes Yamato-Sensei. These two are Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Naruko."

Yamato paused, blinking as he looked down toward Naru, whom peaked at him over her book, blue eyes reflecting the light spilling through the windows that lined the wall opposite to the door.

"Hatake? You woulnd't happen to be related to Kakashi-Taichou would you?"

Naru's eyes widened slightly at the mention of her adopted father, and she nodded toward the man. "He's PapaKashi."

Yamato's eyes twinkled and he let out a slight smirk, inwardly laughing his ass off at the nickname. "I see. Well welcome to my class, my name is Yamato-Sensei. How about we get you settled and introduce you to everyone else?"

Naru glanced toward Sasuke, the boy's face set in a stubborn line as she tugged Naru closer to him.

"Hn."

Itachi sighed from behind them at his brother's reply, crouching down in front of the boy. "Be good Sasuke, I'll meet you outside with Shisui after school."

Sasuke nodded, his scowl lessening as Itachi raised his hand. His eyes reflexively closed as Itachi used his index and middle finger to poke his forehead with a smile, before he turned to Naru and smiled gently.

"Take care of my brother Hosha-Chan."

Naru nodded sharply, eyes shining as Itachi poked her forehead as well before standing. Shisui waved at the two children and Rin giggled at the sight before leading the boys away from the third graders.

Sasuke huffed in annoyance as he opened his eyes again, cursing his brother mentally for the dammed finger poking. Naru only ducked her head into her book and followed Yamato inside the class.

The two children settled next to one another at the front of the class, Yamato standing behind them leaning on the white board attached to the wall. "Alright, how about you two introduce yourselves?"

The two faced the class, Naru's eyes scanning over the many kids. She frowned a bit when she noticed the girls staring at Sasuke in awe, the boys mostly doing the same to her. She gripped the spine of her book, before using her fingers to snap it shut on the ribbon left to keep it in place.

"My name is Hatake Hosha Naruko, I'm nine years old and I used to live in Tanazaki a few miles from here. I like books, Teme-Kun-" Sasuke turned sharply to glare as Naru's lips twitched into a smirk. "-climbing, snowball fights, Ita, Obito-San, and my adoptive father Kakashi, I dislike fangirls, fanboys, being treated like glass, and Shisui's teasing. I suppose my hobbies are reading, helping Obito-San cook, and exploring the forest outside my home. My dream...don't really have one."

Naru finished, glancing to her friend as the kids whispered amongst themselves.

Sasuke inched away from the darkened gazes of the females of the class, narrowing his eyes as he put on his 'Uchiha' face. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke and I'm ten years old. The only things I like are Naru-Chan, Itachi-Ni, and tomatoes. I dislike just about everything else, and my hobbies are playing with Naru-Chan. My dream is to protect Naru-Chan."

Naruko's lips twitched slightly at Sasuke's introduction, especially since his hand tightened around hers.

Yamato chuckled behind them and pointed toward one of the 4 tables in room, each table seating 3 kids.

"Alright let's start with the class. Just names and ages for now please, you can use Recesses to get to know one another better."

The first table seated a girl with platinum blonde hair pulled into a pony tail, her eyes a faded blue, a slightly chubby boy with short spiky brown hair and hazel eyes, and a brown haired boy with dark grey eyes, his hair spiked into a pony tail resembling a pineapple.

The girl spoke first, eyeing Sasuke as she smiled and waved. "I'm Yamanaka Ino and I'm ten as well."

The chubby boy spoke next, pausing between munching on a small bag of chips in hand. "My name is Akimichi Choji, I'm also ten."

Beside them the pineapple boy groaned and yawned, waving lazily at them with one eye open. "What a drag…I'm Nara Shikamaru, same age as these two."

Naruko nodded politely at them while Sasuke 'hned', before they moved on to the next table. This table had three kids as well, one with ear-length spiky brown hair and feral looking hazel eyes, a shy looking short lavender haired girl with faded lavender eyes, and a boy with spiky brown hair wearing sunglasses and a high colored jacket.

The feral looking boy spoke up, puffing up his cheeks with two red triangles imprinted on them in arrogance as he spoke. "Name's Inuzuka Kiba, I'm ten."

The boy grinned mostly at Naru, earning him a glare from Sasuke and a passing glance from the Hatake.

Next was the girl, whom squeaked as she felt Naru's eyes on her. "I-I'm H-Hyuuga H-Hinata…I'm nine.

Naru smiled gently at the girl, before moving on to look at the other boy, missing the bright red blush Hinata sported after seeing the smile.

Sasuke noticed however, frowning gently and clutching his friend's hand to his side.

"Aburame Shino. I'm Ten."

The stoic boy replied next, glancing upward at the other two, nodding his head in acknowledgment. Naru nodded back before looking to the next table.

A red haired boy sat with a pale skinned raven and a smiling gray-blue haired girl.

The red head winked at Naru with a light smirk on his lips, earning him a lightly flushed blonde in return. "My name is Doten-Shi Ken, I'm ten and a half."

Beside him the cyan haired girl nudged him in the ribs, drawing a croak from his lips in shock as the girl smiled gently at Sasuke and Naru.

"Ignore the idiot, my name is Oreshizoku Sashiko and I'm ten. The one smiling creepily beside me is Oreshizoku Sai, my cousin whose my age."

Both the new students could see the similarities between the girl and the creepily smiling boy who scolded the other male at his table after waving at them. Both the girl and the boy had very pale skin, smooth features, calm faces, and while they both had different hair colors and eye colors, they still looked remotely similar.

Finally they reached the last table where a pink haired girl sat smiling at them, a red ribbon tied in her cherry blossom hair as her green eyes met their own. "I'm Haruno Sakura, I'm also nine."

Yamato smiled and clapped his hands together.

"Alright that's everyone, and since you are just enough to finish the last table you'll be with Haruno. Once you get settled we'll have free time so you can get to know the class, then we'll head over to PE."

Yamato's words earned surprised and happy whispers from everyone, whom all watched as Naru and Sasuke took their spots by Sakura.

Sasuke spoke first, drawing the flustered gaze of the pinkette while Naru trailed behind him with her closed book and messanger bag, her hand still clasped firmly in the Uchiha's grasp.

"It's nice to meet you Sakura."

Sakura nodded, turning her gaze to Naru as Sasuke took his seat and finally released the girl's hand. Naru took the appendage back and rested it on the desk beside her book as she offered Sakura a soft smile.

"You mind if I call you Sakura-Chan? It's a really pretty name so I want to make it special."

Sakura flushed and nodded mutely at Naru, before shifting her gaze toward the closed book, a sparkle lighting in her green orbs.

"Isn't that a book by Zoku Shiro the food artist?!"

Naru blinked and nodded, pushing the book over to the girl, whom withheld a squeal as she held up the book. "It sold out as soon as it came out, how'd you get one?!"

Naruko rubbed the back of her head slightly as she flushed at the praise her book was getting. "My Tou-San got it for me. He works at the Publishing Company for the book so he managed to get me a copy. I-I could get you one too."

Sakura's eyes sparkled as she looked to Naru. "That's so cool! I love Shiro-Sensei, he's such a good author."

Naru's eyes lit up slightly and she edged closer to the pink haired book worm.

"I know right? And that cake he made in his signature cookbook Down the Chocolate Mud Cake was amazing!"

Both girls started to converse in quiet but excited voices, leaving Sasuke to watch with wide and shocked eyes. However, both girls turned when they heard a cracked voice speak. " _Another one…_ "

Sasuke slumped forward, both girls regarding him differently. Sakura looked a little worried, and Naru looked slightly annoyed.

"Is he okay?"

Naur waved it off, looking back at her book.

"Yah, he's just a exaggerative and dramatic Emo Uchiha. It's normal."

Sakura raised a brow, but slowly she and Naru picked their conversation back up, leaving the sulking boy to glare in hatred at the blasted book in _his_ Naru-Chan's hands.

I~~~~I

PE was mostly uneventful, despite the PE teacher shouting about youth and eternal rivals to Naru when he learned who her father was, and thanks to the new kids everyone got to stretch and immediately go to playing dodgeball. Sasuke and Naruko ended up on separate teams, giving Yamato's class insight to their relationship, as the two bet whose team would win, and thanks to Naru's excellent aim, she won.

PE moved on to lunch, where Naru and Sakura each grabbed their lunches and guided Sasuke toward the shade of an oak tree. It didn't take long for more kids to come over to meet Naru, and then the fangirls started to appear.

The first fangirl happened to be Sakura's former friend Ino, whom tried sucking up to Sasuke as Naru and Sakura watched him desperately try to find an excuse to leave.

"So Sasuke-Kun, what do you like to do?"

Ino spoke, edging closer to the boy as he inched back toward his blonde friend. Naru did nothing but watch, even as Sakura scowled.

"Leave him alone Ino, can't you see he doesn't want to talk?"

Ino turned sharply to face Sakura, scowling at her. "Who asked you forehead?! You don't know what Sasuke-Kun wants!"

Sakura's glare turned sharp as she stepped forward in anger at the nickname. She wasn't able to act first however, as a sharp and clipped voice spoke up from beside her.

"You wouldn't either. Now please apologize to Sakura-Chan and leave."

Naruko glared at Ino in warning after speaking, Sasuke looking to her in masked shock, wondering what made her protect Sakura.

Ino scowled at Naru, stepping forward as she raised her fist.

"What, the adopted girl thinks she's better than everyone else because she's close to Sasuke-Kun?!"

Ino was right in Naru's face as she reached down, grabbing Naru's book, tugging it from her grasp.

"What a stupid book too…it's weird to read stuff like this, don't you know?"

Ino tugged the book harshly from Naru's grasp, sending it to the ground. It slammed into the dirt, and Naru's hair fell down over her eyes as she watched it.

Sakura reached forward to pull Naru back, anger in her own eyes, while Sasuke's gaze darkened and he clenched his hands.

"You only make fun of others to fele better about yourself. When you see qualities you don't have in other people and you want them, you think you can get away with degrading those qualities in other people, and like a point system they'll go to the victor. I've dealt with countless little girls who can't keep their mouths shut because of this logic, and frankly…none of them annoy me more than you do. I barely get here, and already…"

Naru's head tilted upward and her fist shot outward, slamming into Ino's stomach.

"I really don't like you. Leave Teme-Kun alone unless he actually wants to deal with you. Don't downgrade my friend either, and understand that if you _ever_ harm one of the gifts Tou-San gave me…A little punch will be the least of your problems."

Naru then bent to grab her book, dusting it off as she walked toward the front of the building, leaving Ino to gasp for breath as she collapsed to the ground. Sasuke turned sharply to watch as Naru walked up to a teacher on duty, pointing back toward Ino, before promptly being escorted to the building.

"Itachi-Ni is going to be mad…"

Sasuke whispered, before glancing toward Sakura. He sighed as he noticed her shocked look, and with a hn in Ino's direction, walked over. He took hold of Sakura's wrist, dragging her away while an adult arrived near Ino and tried to help her out. Sasuke finally stopped a few meters away from the blonde still clutching her stomach, before he turned toward Sakura. "Don't feel bad…Naru would have done it anyways. She doesn't like bullies…and neither do I."

Sakura blinked in shock at Sasuke, but nodded numbly as the boy started pulling her back toward the building. "Now we better tell Yamato-Sensei what happened…since Naru seems to have turned herself in, Dobe."

Sasuke huffed, glaring at thin air as he tugged Sakura toward the school, ignoring the looks given to them.

I~~~~I

"Y-You punched a girl in the stomach?!"

Naru winced, pulling the phone further from her ear as her lips tilted into a scowl, her eyes narrowed sideways at the device. "Yes. She was picking on my friend."

An exasperated sigh sounded over the phone, Naru ignoring it as she tapped her foot impatiently against the floor, ignoring the questioning look her Sensei gave her. " _Hosha_ , you just don't do that! Bakashi and I taught you _self defence_ so you wouldn't be taken advantage of, not so you could go playing hero…I know it's hard for you since you know those bullies well, but punching people isn't the answer. It's not even your _second day!_ "

Naruko sighed heavily, her foot stopping as she relaxed her features.

"Are you going to tell PapaKashi?"

Her voice was barely a whisper, one dreading the look of disappointment she'd inevitably get when her father learned about the incident in school.

"No."

Naru froze in shock, opening her mouth to question when Obito cut in through the other side of the line.

"He'll learn eventually, know this, but for now this can stay between us. Look, I know more than you know how hard it is to stand to the side and watch someone you care about be pushed around. Just be more responsible, and keep those fists to yourself unless someone is actually in danger. Do I make myself clear?"

Naruko allowed a gentle smile as she spoke up.

"Of course, Obito-San."

Obito chuckled gently from the other line, and Naru had a sneaking suspicion he was running a hand through his hair. "No ramen for a week. If Kakashi asks why we tell him you took my goggles again…fair?"

Naru giggled gently, thinking of the many times she had already done so. "It wouldn't be a lie…"

There was a sharp bout of silence, before Obito spoke up again. " _Repeat that?!"_

Naru set the phone back on the table with a hum, nodding to her Sensei. The man raised a brow before sighing and reaching over to pick up the receiver, wincing as he heard the yelling on the other line.

"You mine as well hang up…he won't stop yelling."

Yamato did as told, sighing while glancing to the blonde sitting on one of the 5 desks in the classroom.

"You know, your dad got into fights like this too, one sided and for everyone but himself."

Naruko nodded, smiling wistfully.

"I know, he's the one that told me to protect my friends no matter what."

Yamato reached forward, ruffling the girl's hair, much to her shock.

"So you've adopted Haruno then? Good, take good care of your friends Naruko. Hatake's watch over their pack, don't they?"

Naru looked up at her Sensei in awe, before her eyes closed and she smiled brightly, the sun making her hair glow like a halo. "Mhm, to care for them for life, do whatever needs done to make them happy, to always be at their side and never leave them, because we care. For those we can trust…we will care."

Yamato was struck speechless by the girl's words.

I~~~~I

Other than that incident, nothing more really happened. Naruko turned up the next day at school wearing a pair of orange goggles and carting several books she immediately dove into surfing through with Sakura, while Sasuke watched and pitched in what little he knew. Ino didn't come to school for almost a week, returning at the end to apologize to the three, only to get a wack over the head by Naru who told her she wasn't sorry, but she wouldn't do it again.

The next few weeks brought more eventful bets in PE, a losing Uchiha, wonderful Art sessions where most of the pain got on the children rather than the paper, and a lot of group activities used for everyone to learn whatever they needed. Naruko seemed to have a knack for anything educational however, and she took to multiplication and division easily, helping others when they needed it, though Sasuke and Sakura weren't among those numbers. Science lead to growing ooze in jars, which made Naru happy despite every other girl having second thoughts on the project. In the end Sakura warmed up to the ooze named Glop, and by the end of the first month the two new kids had settled in easily.

It was now nearing the middle of November, when Naruko and Sasuke both popped the question to Sakura.

I~~~~I

Unlike the other time, it wasn't snowing as it was so much drizzling. Water fell in thin streams from the sky, drops falttening against Sakura's umbrella as she waited for her mother to come pick her up. Her face was uncovered, though she was looking down at a book Naruko had recently gotten her. She smiled gently as she read, only looking up when she heard harsh steps.

"S-Sakura-Chan!"

A bright blur shot toward the blossom haired girl, whom slipped her closed book into her bag as the orange coated girl rushed over, a shouting raven haired adult running after her.

"H-Hosha!"

The man called out, Naru ignoring him in favor of extending an envelope to Sakura. The girl paused before taking it, blinking at the beige colored letter.

"It's an invitation to my house. We were wondering if your family would like to join us for Thanks Giving Dinner!"

Naru grinned a bit at Sakura, a gesture reserved for those she liked best. Behind her the man finally reached her, his hand shooting out to ruffle Naru's damp hair.

"Hosha, what did I tell you about running off like that?! Seriously you ought to listen to the adult…"

Naru blinked back cold rain, looking over to the man with a faint scowl.

"You are not an adult Obito-San. You are a child in adults clothing."

Obito pouted at the girl, proving her statement, whilst Sakura giggled and clutched the letter to her chest.

"I'll tell my mom, thanks a lot Naru!"

Naru grinned at her again, leaning back against the adult whom hummed gently and pulled his umbrella over them both. "I'm looking forward to seeing you, Sakura-Chan!"

Sakura nodded, and upon hearing a honking horn, turned to see her mother's car pulling around the pick-up line. "I better go, bye Naru!"

Sakura took off toward the car, pulling her pink umbrella after her. She entered the vehicle after closing it, glancing back toward Naruko when her door had shut. The girl was being pulled over Obito's shoulders, holding the umbrella over them both as he carted her away. From the front seat Sakura's mother spoke up, glancing at her from the rearview mirror. "What's that you have, Sakura?"

Sakura looked down at the letter, smiling lightly. "I'll show you when we get home."

I~~~~I

"Naruko, Sasuke, your friend is here!"

The holler from Obito was all that was needed before the two third graders launched themselves at the door, down the steps and toward the driveway where Sakura and her parents were getting out of their car. Itachi and Shisui followed with Mikoto and Kakashi, the adults helping the others with the food they brought while the children reacquainted themselves, Sasuke taking the hands of both his friends so Sakura could meet Itachi and Shisui.

"Sakura, this is my brother Itachi, and my cousin Shisui."

Sakura's eyes widened upon seeing the two, and she held out her hand that Itachi then shook, Shisui taking it and kissing it with a lazy smile.

"Nice to meet you! Now then…How about we head around back while the adults get ready. I see a game of freeze tag in our futures!"

The enthusiastic Uchiha earned exasperated glances from his family and laughter from the others, Naru and Sakura pulling Sasuke with them after the boy while Itachi watched.

"I'll make sure they stay out of trouble Kaa-San. It was a pleasure to meet you finally." Itachi nodded toward the two parents, the wife watching the children with a smile settled on her firm face, her brown hair cupping her ears. "Kizashi was a little worried about his little girl having boyfriend already, but I can see that such a thing isn't awfully bad. Naruko is quite the book worm too, so that helps."

Form behind Sakura's mom, her father Kizashi squawked slightly in indignation.

"M-Mebuki dear…"

Mebuki only smirked at her husband, and joined Mikoto on her way toward the Japanese styled house, Kakashi smiling at Kizashi as the fair headed male shook his head. "Come on, I'll introduce you to Obito and we can talk over some drinks."

Itachi watched as Kakashi hauled off the sulking man, his eyes softening at the sight of the adults getting along. Faintly, the thought of the incident two years ago at Christmas came to mind, before it was whisked away by a shout from behind him, near the back path leading to the edge of the house and the outer garden. "Ita!"

Itachi turned to nod toward the blonde haired girl waving him over, his feet carrying him in her direction.

I~~~~I

"I seriously can't believe that you and Itachi-San had to be Shisui-San and Naru-Chan's slaves."

A light giggled left the mouth of a blossom haired girl as she sat on the wrap-around patio beside Naru, staring over at the brothers sitting together beside her, and the playful Uchiha sipping away at a mug of hot chocolate like the rest.

"Yup, I cashed mine in the first day of school the very next year."

Naruko smiled gently and sipped at her own hot chocolate, watching Sasuke sip his tea instead.

The smaller Uchiha gained a light scowl along with his brother, the eldest recalling the horrifying day while Sasuke mulled over something else.

"Naru still hasn't cashed hers in."

Naruko hummed in content while Sakura laughed a bit more at her friend's expense, Shisui joining in. "Oh that's devilish of you Naru-Hime, you're holding it for revenge aren't you?"

The addressed blonde only licked her lips and straightened as she spoke in a dignified manner. "I have no idea what you are implying Shisui."

Shisui pouted and leaned into the younger girl's space, whispering into her ear in a manner only Sakura heard since she was right next to Naruko.

" _But Hime, I can help…"_

Naru opened a single eye, her left one since it was closest to the Uchiha, and she assessed him before humming again.

"Sorry Shisui, but I will stick with Sakura as my partner in crime. I have my own title to uphold."

Shisui pouted again, huffing as he pulled back, crossing his arms, along with his mug of chocolate, over his chest. "Devilish Hime…Here I thought the Prank King was getting along so well with the Prank Mistress…."

Naru let a smirk settle back on her features as she closed her eyes and sipped at her hot chocolate once more, the other three children watching the exchange with warry eyes.

"Ahh, but a true master must never play all her cards at the start Shisui…one must savor their partnership and victory while also knowing when it harms and when it aids."

Shisui hummed along, and he smirked as well as the two shared a glance.

"I see…"

Sakura paused, before speaking up.

"Uh…Naru-Chan why did you want me to help you?"

Naru turned to Sakura, and the moment between her and Shisui passed as she spoke up.

"Shiro's second novel, the third chapter."

Sakura's eyes lit up, and she smirked along with her friend, raising her glass toward Naru's as the blonde clinked them together.

"' _In the Merit of making their lives hell._ '"

Sakura quoted with a mystified tone taking over her voice.

"'Because it was ordained by the goddess herself…'"

A slightly praising tone came over Naruko as she quoted afterwards.

"'That all those who may oppose, shall experience her wrath.'"

Sakura finished the passage, and the boys shared looks of pity with Sasuke as he edged away from his female friends.

"I-Itachi-Ni?"

Itachi hummed and drank from his cup, Shisui ducking his head into his own hot chocolate as they patted his shoulders.

' _You're on your own Sasuke.'_

I~~~~I

Dinner was spent in laughter, the Uchiha's having mostly forgotten the scary bought of revenge text that the Book Worms had shared, now moving on to different events as they conversed in their own little table, the adults laughing and conversing amongst themselves. The food was great, especially the pie that Naru and forced Sasuke to help her make the day before. Dinner dissolved and the kids moved to the living room, setting up board games while the adults watched. Even Fugaku managed to smile, Kakashi and Kizashi speaking with the Uchiha Head about business occasionally.

"Alright…how about we play go fish?"

Blinking, Naru shrugged from her spot beside Itachi, her face buried once more in a book while Sakura sat next to Shisui and Sasuke, eyeing the book discretely. "Sounds good, you deal Sasuke."

Itachi spoke up, and his younger brother quickly laid out the cards, shuffling his own pairs below him into a pile. Almost immediately, Naruko dropped six of her cards to the area in front of her in three pairs. Itachi dropped two, and Sakura dropped one while Shisui had none.

Naru glanced upward, and taking the initiative looked at Sasuke.

"Do you have an Ace?"

Sasuke glanced at the three cards in his hand, and his eye twitched a bit when he noticed that he did. He handed it over, Naru pairing it to her card and setting it down in front of her. She then reached and drew seven more cards, setting down three more rows of pairs.

Sakura watched with wide eyes, while Shisui groaned and looked toward Itachi.

"Do you have a Three?"

"Hn."

Itachi stared blankly back at his Cousin, whom drew a card since it basically meant _'go fish'_.

Next was Sakura, who looked toward Sasuke.

"Do you have a five?"

Sasuke paused and shook his head, making the girl sigh and draw a card. She paused before smiling and pairing it to an ace in her hand, setting the card down. Next Sasuke looked toward Shisui.

"You have a three?"

Sasuke allowed a snide smirk, watching as Shisui grumbled and handed him his card. Naru and Sakura snickered, though it ceased when Itachi spoke up.

"Ototou, a queen?"

Sasuke huffed and stuck his nose upward. "Go Fish."

Itachi raised a brow before drawing a card. He paused then everyone looked to Naru, whom hummed.

"Sakura-Chan, you have a seven?"

Sakura blinked before handing the girl her card, watching her once again set down her hand before drawing more cards. She set down only two pairs this time, but it did little to lessen her growing pile.

The game went on like this, and in the end it was no question that Naru had won. Still, everyone did better than the sulking Shisui, as he had absolutely no matched the entire round.

"H-How!?"

Shisui wailed, throwing his cards down as the game finished.

Naru patted his back alongside Sakura, both rolling their eyes at the boy's dramatics.

"There, there Shisui…we all know card games just really don't like you."

Shisui groaned, Itachi and Sasuke giving each other looks as he was comforted. Sasuke's lips twisted slightly, before he let out a loud yawn.

"Looks like you're ready for bed, Sasuke."

Sasuke was about to protest, when he heard two other yawns, and watched as Naru rubbed her eyes. "It's almost Nine…"

Sakura nodded, glancing back toward her family. Her mother stood at the door, smiling gently. "We have your knapsack in the car if you want to stay. Mikoto-San and Fugaku-San already said it was okay."

Sakura's eyes brightened a bit, and she smiled brightly. "Okay!"

Naruko giggled behind her hand, and she took Sakura's hand, Sasuke taking her other as they walked down the hall. "Come on, we'll get one of the extra sleeping bags."

I~~~~I

At around midnight, Naruko once again found herself outside, staring up at the stars. The difference was that Sasuke and Sakura were both at her side, none of them all that tired after actually laying down for a bit.

"Say Naruko…what's with that thing you and Sasuke do? The whole thing with 'Those that Care'?"

Sakura spoke through the silence, glancing toward her friends as she tilted her head of pink hair. The saying had been said a bit between the two, especially after Naru got in trouble for yelling at some Bullies harassing Sakura. Both of them had said it to her, and she wasn't sure what it meant.

The two shared a look, before Naru smiled at Sakura, raising her hand.

Across from Sakura, since she was stuck between the two, Sasuke raised his own hand with a slight smirk on his lips.

"The promise to stay together and never leave,"

Naruko started, meeting Sakura's green eyes with her bright blue.

"To always stay by one another's side and do whatever is needed to keep them happy,"

Sasuke continued, catching their eyes with his own dark ones.

"For those that we trust, we will _care_."

Sakura's eyes directed themselves on the entwined pinkies before her, before she raised her own and joined it with her friends.

"For those that trust."

Sasuke smirked more, gripping his finger around theirs.

"For those that care."

 **And there it is, the start of TTT, The Trust of Three. The Triple T Universe is my new favorite, and I already have many more ideas. It's mostly Team Seven fluff, but I may add others in later on as I see fit. I'm glad you read and I hope you enjoyed reading, until the next drabble.**


	11. XI- Konoha Betrayal

**Universe-Kitsune of the Blood Sands**

 **Main Characters-Sasori, Naruko, Kabuto**

 **Side Characters-Konoha 12,Orochimaru, Hiruzen, Konoha 12 Senseis**

 **Pairings-One-sided SasuNaru**

 **Warnings-Mentions of Abuse, Betrayal, Snake Whooping**

 **Origin-Reading too much fanfiction I believe, not entirely sure.**

 **Background-A month has come and gone since the Wave Mission, with Zabuza and Haku just getting off Probation while the Rookie Genin teams are given their first real challenge. The Chunin Exams.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto or its characters, just my plotline.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to early morning typing.**

It felt like floating, the rushing air beneath Naruko as she used her threads to lift her into the air. It was a new exercise, one she had yet to show her Sensei. The exercise tested not just her control, but the strength of her technique. Puppets were normally pretty weightless, whether by help of seals of simply by design, but if Naruko could master making stronger, thinner threads then she could also fortify her puppets without losing her speed and agility. The blonde had yet to create her own puppet, as she wanted to get this last step down at least past the intermediate stages before starting.

"Naruko-Chan!"

Naru sighed gently and opened her eyes to look at the one addressing her, the strings beneath her quivering before pulling away. She stepped forward so she wouldn't fall, her blue eyes meeting a lone grey orb. Hatake Kakashi stood a few meters ahead of her, waving a piece of paper over his head as he gave an eye-smile.

"Come over here!"

A slight tilt of her lips and Naruko started on a leisurely pace toward the Copy Nin, ignoring to pouting aura that the man emitted when she finally arrived. She stopped in front of the man, sighing gently as she questioned him.

"What was it that you needed, Kakashi-San?"

Smiling even more with his eye, somehow turning it into an upside down 'u' shape, Hatake handed a slip of paper to his student. "This is for the Chunin Exams. Sasuke and Sakura already have theirs. If you want to participate simply fill it out and go to the Academy Room 301 on the date marked. Well, see you later then!"

The ever tardy Sensei vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving behind an inquisitive blonde. Naruko turned her gaze toward the paper in her hands, mulling over the basic information. "I'll have to go see Kabuto-Kun then…"

I~~~~I

To anyone from far away, Kabuto and Naruko looked very much like good friends conversing over simple topics. That wasn't really the case, but the looks helped when you had eavesdropping Jonin.

"So, you going to try out the Exams again? I mean you did try before, so maybe you should sit this one out."

Kabuto only chuckled and ruffled Naruko's hair, leaning down till his forehead nearly brushed her own. "How sweet of you to worry Naru-Hime. Don't worry though, I have a feeling this is my chance."

Naruko nodded, sighing gently while Kabuto removed his hand and stepped back. His eyes drifted over the training area, before they stopped on a large rock. "Why don't we practice that new technique of yours? I wanted to see how well you've progressed on your own."

The Uzumaki Jinchuuriki stepped forward, standing about 5 meters from the rock. She breathed out, her blonde spikes falling over her blue eyes while her small hands raised slightly in front of her. Within moments, little wisps of chakra had extracted themselves from her fingertips. The golden trails continued outward, surrounding her in a meter radius, circling around at a lazy pace.

Relaxing her muscles, Naru allowed her chakra to continue to flow out into the thin stands around her, until the shimmering twine started to cover her entirely and warp her image by reflecting light. From behind her, Kabuto's eyes widened in shock. "Naru-Hime…"

Further away, sitting on the branch of a common oak overlooking the scene, was Kakashi. His headband was pulled up, sharingan bared for the world to see as he surveyed his student. He was shocked by the gathering chakra, which started to warp the vision in his normal eye. Naruko's form would flicker and appear somewhere else in the bubble, or appear cut apart. Her chakra remained in place though, up until the strings started to expand. The girl's legs extended and she settled into a branching kenjutsu style, one more fitting for shortened blades.

Naru faced the rock head on, her chakra starting to speed up and expand as she started her attack. Within seconds the strands cut into the surface, and when Naru drew a dagger the strands formed an outline of her body, extending her reach as she cut into the solid structure without touching it.

Kakashi could only gape in shock as Naruko tore apart her target without even moving from her spot. He wasn't too shocked however, to miss the smirk Kabuto sent in his direction.

I~~~~I

A Genjutsu, not even a very useful one, just a simple illusionary trick that really did nothing except make Naruko's temples ache. If this was the type of techniques she could expect others to fall for, the Exams wouldn't be nearly as much of a challenge as she thought. Struggling not to scoff at the situation, she started walking up the next flight of stairs. Her teammates paused before following her, the nervous Sakura looking a little relieved that she had realized the trap, while Sasuke looked confused. When Team Seven reached the next landing however, they were stopped by a familiar bowl-cut ninja.

"Lee-San."

Naruko spoke, inclining her head at the boy as he grinned at them and offered them a thumbs up. "Naruko-San! It's a pleasure to see your youthful team again!"

The Blonde only shrugged, glancing back at her teammates. "I suppose."

"Lee, hurry up. There isn't a lot of time before the Exams start."

Neji spoke up from behind his teammate, standing at Ten Ten's side while the girl waved. Naruko offered her own nod before she walked past Team Gai, ignoring Neji's narrowed gaze. Her team rushed to catch up, Sakura walking alongside Ten Ten while Lee yelled out and rushed toward Naruko.

The Genin stopped upon seeing not just a silver haired Scarecrow, but Might Gai standing next to the door of room 301. Kakashi gave a lazy wave from over his red book, Gai grinning widely at them all. "Look my rival, our youthful students have joined together!"

Kakashi raised a brow at the man, before pocketing his book as he turned to his team. "Mah, did you say something Gai?"

The Green Beast of Konoha deflated under the questioning gaze of his 'rival', sinking down into a puddle next to the wall while Kakashi smiled at his students. "Glad you could make it! I'm really proud of you all, so try not to die in these Exams, alright?"

Naruko sighed and stepped around Kakashi, standing near the door as she reached to open it. "I doubt we would, Kakashi-San. Thank you for seeing us off though."

The blonde didn't wait for a reply, entering the room first. Her teammates followed, Sakura thanking Kakashi as well, before Team Gai followed.

Neither team expected a screaming platinum blonde girl dressed in a skimpy purple outfit to attack Sasuke, much less for the rest of the Rookie 9 to be there. Team Eight watched the scene mostly from afar, other than Kiba walking over to Naru to try and display his arrogance. Aburame Shino, Hyuga Hinata, and Inuzuka Kiba were all under Yuhi Kurenai.

Shino was a little odd, and mostly kept to himself. He wore a high-collar green coat and dark black sunglasses that covered most of his face. His hair was black and spiked upward.

Hinata was quite shy and blushed whenever she looked at Kiba or Naruko, her hair a deep lavender while her eyes were a pupiless white. She wore a purple and white coat with fur trim and black shorts.

Kiba was the oddball that tied the group together. He had brown hair that was also spiked, deep brown eyes, and two upside down red triangles on his cheeks. He wore a grey fur trimmed coat and black shorts, along with the same black sandals his entire team wore. He also had a white puppy on his head under his hood, named Akamaru.

After Team Eight there was Team Ten, consisting of Nara Shikimaru, Akimichi Choji, and Yamanaka Ino.

Shikamaru was the laziest Genin, more laid back than even Naruko. He wore a green half coat that opened to reveal his grey fishnet shirt, along with beige ninja shorts and black sandals. His hair was dark brown and spiked at the back in a ponytail, very reminiscent of a pineapple top, completed by deep hazel eyes that analyzed everything.

Choji was probably the kindest and hungriest of the batch, with his light hazel hair, green eyes, and constant food companions. He wore a green coat along with a red scarf and beige shorts with black sandals.

Ino was the one currently clinging to Sasuke, her platinum blonde hair pulled back into a high ponytail while her beaming blue eyes remained closed. She wore a purple top cutting off at her mid-drift, along with dark shorts and black sandals.

All of the Konoha Genin had gathered at the front, with Sakura and Ino arguing over Sasuke while Kiba flirted with Naruko, who greeted Shikamaru and Choji before settling into silence.

Naru's gaze wandered around the room, finally stopping on a head of silver hair growing closer. Once Kabuto was a meter away, he spoke up. "Hey, you guys might want to keep it down you know. You're rookies so it makes you easy meat in the eyes of others."

Everyone paused, Teams Ten and Eight in confusion while Teams Gai and Seven stared with apprehension. "Kabuto-Kun."

Naruko was the first to address the boy, earning her a smile as the silvernette ruffled her hair and pushed up his glasses. "Good to see you Naruko-Hime. Hopefully these kids don't get you killed, neh?"

From beside Naruko, Shikamaru and Shino both watched the exchange with calculating eyes, noticing that Kabuto's hand swiped by Naru's weapon's pouch before he leaned back and looked at all the Genin. Kiba was more than annoyed, glaring at Kabuto due to his close contact with Naruko. He wasn't the only one however, as Sasuke was gritting his teeth from his now freed position at the door.

"What did you say?!"

Kabuto only pressed his glasses back to his face as he smirked at Kiba, noting his annoyance.

"That you might get Naru-Hime killed…these Exams aren't easy you know. This is actually my 7th time."

From beside Kabuto, Naru sighed and looked back toward her team, her eyes growing glassy as she lost interest in the situation.

"It wasn't all for naught however, as I have gathered quite a bit of information from my time being here. Just say the name and I'll show you their stats."

All of the Genin became surprised when Sakura spoke up first, narrowing her eyes on Naruko.

"Naruko then."

Kabuto blinked and glanced down at his longtime friend questioningly, receiving a nod in return. He sighed and pulled out a bunch of blank cards, shuffling through them for a moment before taking out one. He pushed his chakra inside of the paper, and the Genin watched the information appear on the card.

"Name, Uzumaki Naruko. Rank, Genin. Current Skills include Mid-Level Taijutsu, Mid-Level Ninjutsu, Low Genjutsu, High Chakra Control, High Bukijutsu, Mid to High Elemental Control, and Mid to High Fuinjutsu. On her recent C-Rank turned A-Rank, Naruko-Hime displayed seasoned skills with poisoned Senbon, chakra strings, and elemental control. She along with the help of myself and The Demon of the Mist plus his student killed off an army of mercenaries as well as Gato the Billionare. Her parents are unknown, and she is the standing Heir of the Uzumaki Clan."

Some people blinked, others simple stared, while Naru spoke up from her spot. "The Sand Nin there…Subaku No Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro I believe. Also…That team from Iwa."

Kabuto nodded, and without complaint started taking out cards. He relayed the information soon after.

"Alright, the Sand Nin are the Subaku siblings with the oldest being Temari, a wind mistress with Mid-Low Level Taijutsu, High Ninjutsu, Low Genjutsu, High Chakra Control, Mid Bukijutsu, and High Elemental Control. The middle child is Kankuro, a Puppet Master."

Naruko's eyes narrowed at the facts, her body tensing in a way that Shino, Hinata, Shikimaru, and Sasuke took notice of.

"Kankuro has Low-Level Taijutsu, Low Ninjutsu, Low Genjutsu, High Chakra Control, Mid Bukijutsu, and High-Puppet Control."

Naruko's lips tilted down into a frown and she narrowed her eyes at the mentioned siblings, only to end up staring directly into seafoam green.

"Gaara is the youngest with Low-Level Taijutsu, Mid-Level Ninjutsu, Low Genjutsu, Unknown Chakra Control, Low Bukijutsu, and Unknown Elemental Control. He uses sand as though it were an element, and he has never been injured on a mission, not even a scratch."

The red spikes fell over the murderous green, and Naruko felt heat rise from inside the seal on her stomach. Her teeth clenched and she felt something brush her closed fists. Small granules of sand cut into her skin, before drawing away with the blood left on them. Her eyes widened slightly and she relaxed herself as she looked up toward Gaara, whom still kept his eyes on her, even as the sand he had used returned. A shiver nearly worked its way down the blonde's spine, but it was cut off by a soft whir and the click of footsteps. She shot forward of her own accord, forcing chakra around her ears to block out the sound as she caught a fist aimed for Kabuto's head.

Her eyes darkened considerably and Naruko's pupils turned to slits as a hiss left her mouth as she addressed the ninja who attacked her friend. "Try attacking again, I dare you bastard."

The Sound Ninja, one with his arms wrapped in bandages along with his head, tilted his head to the side as he looked at her with one eye. "You should tell your friend not to underestimate us, just because we are new."

Naruko chuckled lowly and her threads started to move around her, out toward the nin's arms. "Can't blame him, can you?"

The Sound Nin narrowed his eyes. He was lucky however when just before Naruko's strings came in contact with his arms, smoke erupted at the front of the room. "Alright, settle down maggots! If you fight you'll be disqualified, you hear?!"

Everyone turned toward the source, Naruko withdrawing her threads.

"I'm Morino Ibiki and I'll be your First Exam Proctor!"

I~~~~I

"Just because you say we won't be able to take the Exams again, doesn't mean a damn thing. It's stupid just to leave simply because you are unsure of something. Take the chance, and you will find yourself being rewarded in some way."

Bold words spilt from soft lips as blue eyes narrowed on the man trying to get rid of so many of the Genin Teams. The Tenth question, the one not on the Exam paper, was nothing more than a bluff. Naruko could tell, just as she could tell the whole first part of the exam was all about gathering information. She trained under _Sasori of the Red Sands_ if she didn't know how to gather and use information to her knowledge then she'd be dead by now. Sasori-Sensei made sure that was the first thing he taught her out of everything else.

Morino Ibiki scanned the Examination room, sighing when he realized that the Uzumaki's speech had made all the other teams left want to stay. Chuckling a bit under his breath, Ibiki spoke up to address them all. "Fine then, you all Pass!"

An uproar sounded, Ibiki's eyes trailing toward a blonde Kunoichi. He really wanted to see the look on the Gaki's face when she realized what he had said.

To Ibiki's surprise however. Naruko's blue orbs met his and her lips twitched into a smirk before it vanished and she was once more emotionless.

Before the Head of TI could dwell much on the suspicious behavior however, a foot swung through the wall and a body came tumbling in while streamers and confetti erupted and a manner dropped down in front of Ibiki.

"Alright kiddos, I'm Mitarashi Anko and I'm going to be the Second Exam Proctor!"

I~~~~I

"Well isn't that just unattractive."

Naruko spoke up, leaning back against a large tree as she stared down at her two teammates being attacked by a disguised Grass Nin with a freakishly long tongue.

The woman turned sharply to face Naruko, whom only stared directly back, discretely gathering chakra around her as she prepared her chakra threads. She twitched her fingers and her body vanished in a swift Shuinshin, reappearing in front of her teammates as Orochimaru turned to face her in slight surprise.

"I really shouldn't be surprised that Sensei was correct. He always is."

Naruko drew her daggers, settling into her stance as the chakra strings stretched outward, blocking any attacks aimed at her teammates.

Sasuke shouted from behind her, shaking as Orochimaru's killer intent surfaced.

"N-Naruko get out of here! T-This woman…she's nothing like Zabuza!"

Naru paused and then she tossed her daggers at the woman, twisting her fingers in order to spin them. Orochimaru dodged them both with ease, eyes narrowed on his opponent.

"Oh course. This is Orochimaru the Snake Sannin Cross Dresser…The one person I loathe more than myself."

Naruko drew her fingers back, and the daggers shot toward Orochimaru's back. The Sannin vanished from his spot, and Naru took her chance to flash through hand signs as her daggers were tied to her belt by her chakra threads.

"Reverse Summoning Jutsu!"

Naruko shouted, slamming the palm of her hand into the ground as her threads grabbed onto her teammates and tugged them into the expanding seal, before the three vanished into a puff of smoke.

All three Genin dropped down in a clearing near a stream, marked with a single kunai and a silver haired medic.

"Naru-Hime!"

Kabuto rushed toward the girl, catching her as she slumped forward in exhaustion, her chakra threads falling apart before his eyes while he looked over her person.

The shocked Uchiha stared at his other teammate in wonder as Kabuto sighed in relief, gently hitting Naruko's head as she slept. "You idiot…You had to use that technique to get out of there, didn't you…?"

Silence descended on the four grouped together.

I~~~~I

"Next Match, Uzumaki Naruko VS Inuzuka Kiba. Would both parties please come down?"

Naru blinked once, before she gripped the railing and launched herself over it, landing calmly on the ground as her opponent walked down from his own spot above.

"Tch, I have to fight Naru? Heh I suppose it could be worse…"

Kiba smirked at Naruko, the girl sighing as she pulled out her daggers and settled into a stance in front of the dog boy.

"Refrain from calling me 'Naru'. You are not nearly close enough to me to be so familiar."

Kiba raised a brow before he reached up to set his dog Akamaru down in front of him. "I could be."

Naruko ignored the attempt at flirting, glancing toward the Proctor, Hayate, in annoyance.

The man sighed and coughed, before raising his hand and bringing it down swiftly while jumping backward.

"Hajime!"

I~~~~I

"Wind Blade Dance, Wind Thread Step!"

Chakra Threads infused with Wind Chakra shot outward from the dagger wielding Uzumaki, her blue eyes darkened as she watched the strings slice into Kiba and send him flying backward into the arena wall. A crater formed as he shouted out, only to grow silent when Naruko vanished from her spot across the arena and reappeared in front of him, one dagger aimed at his neck, the other aimed at his heart.

"Forfeit."

Kiba panted heavily, breathing shakily as he looked into Naruko's dark eyes, a soft whisper leaving his lips.

"I-I give…"

Naruko backed away, allowing the injured boy to fall forward next to his knocked out puppy. She turned around and slipped her daggers into the sides of her weapon's belt, glancing toward the Proctor.

Hayate was giving her an indecipherable look, one that all the Senseis shared as they watched the girl that had basically destroyed her fellow Konoha nin. The match had been normal paced up until Kiba had made a comment about Kabuto, which seemed to flip a switch inside Naruko. The blonde became ruthless, attacking without ceasing as she remained deathly quiet in the face of her now very weaker opponent.

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruko."

The words did little to settle Naruko's hidden anger, but she nodded to the man respectfully none the less, walking back up toward her Team that stared at her in confusion. Kakashi was the first to speak, his lone eye narrowed on her slightly.

"That was too harsh Naru."

Naruko sighed and leaned forward against the railing, gazing upward toward her friend's team on the opposing catwalk.

"You heard him Kakashi…I will not allow anyone to downplay my comrades."

Kakashi reached forward and gripped his student's shoulders, causing her to tense.

"Kiba is a comrade-."

Naruko turned her gaze toward the Copy Nin, her blue eyes devoid of all emotion other that a burning anger that made them darken. "Kabuto is my comrade, not Kiba."

Kakashi flinched and his grip lessened enough for Naru to shake it off, her eyes turned back toward the next match.

I~~~~I

"Hokage-Sama, I'm worried about her. She's been increasingly distant and you saw her match in the Prelims. She's very protective over Kabuto, barely interacts with her teammates and hides her true strength from us. Did you know she could use Reverse Summoning, she is a natural Sensor, or the fact that she can use Shuinshin?!"

The Sandaime gazed out of his window as he listened to Kakashi speak, his heart becoming heavy as he breathed out of his pipe, drawing it back in to get another shot as he sorted through his information.

Naruko had hidden her abilities, and while that wasn't too odd in a Shinobi Village, she had hidden her knowledge of Jonin level techniques that she shouldn't have access to, as well as a natural asset that was required of ninja under Jonin rank to disclose to their commanding officers.

This information was troubling, paired with the girl's refusal of her comrades, instead choosing to stay with a single boy whom she had known for years.

"I see…I believe it's time that we introduced her to Jiraya."

I~~~~I

"I have enough on my plate, I don't want my training time to be cut because of an egotistical pervert."

Sharp and clipped, like always. Naruko didn't lessen her annoyance or the harshness of her tone for the white haired Sannin posing in front of her, introduced by Kakashi as he Sensei for the month break from the Final Exam. The girl didn't want a Sensei however, as Sasori had already volunteered since they had their own agenda for the Third Exam, involving a certain bastard snake and his invasion.

"Naruko, Jiraya-Sama has offered kindly to teach you, you should accept."

Kakashi spoke up, his eye showing confusion at the girl's refusal. Naruko sighed heavily and turned her blue eyes toward her silver haired friend, whom was frowning at the adults. Kabuto also knew about Naruko's training with Sasori, and he was not pleased to discover that the Hokage had already butted in.

"Kakashi-Senpai, truthfully this isn't needed…Naruko and I will be fine by ourselves after all."

Kakashi frowned and turned his gaze toward his fellow light haired male, trying to explain and convince his own student.

"Kabuto, there are things you can't teach Naruko that Jiraya-Sama can, like-"

The Copy Nin was abruptly cut off by an annoyed voice, belonging to an Uzumaki whose fists were slowly tightening.

"The Kyuubi, correct? That's all you want me for. To train me how to use the fox. Well, hate to break it to you but I won't."

Naruko turned sharply, ignoring the widened eyes from Jiraya and Kakashi, her hand reaching to grab Kabuto's wrist.

"Kakashi-San, please tell Jiji-Sama I appreciate it but I will be training with Kabuto and his team, _only_."

The girl walked away from the two adults, Kabuto's lips tilting into a smug smirk directed at the both as he pushed his glasses further up his nose and turned to follow Naruko.

Both of the men shared gazes, Jiraya's eyes darkening at the look the boy shot them.

"Something is up with that boy…"

Kakashi nodded in agreement.

I~~~~I

"Naruko I'm telling you, he's a spy, he was never your friend, he just used you for Orochimaru."

Naru glared darkly at Kakashi, shooting up from her spot next to Hayate's hospital room, her voice expressing her anger.

"There's a reason Kakashi-San, Kabuto wouldn't-!"

Kakashi stepped forward, and his hand stretched out before he could stop it, slapping Naruko across the face. He froze in shock a moment later, his student's face turned to the side with the paled skin taking a red hue. Her blue eyes shook and she stared across the hall for a few moments, before turning those orbs onto him. Her eyes lost their color, and the Uzumaki backed away from Kakashi as she spoke in a deadly calm tone.

"Kabuto would never betray me…not like everyone else."

The girl turned away from her sensei and walked down the hall, vanishing past the second turn. Kakashi's hand dropped, and he let out a shaky breath.

"Naru…"

I~~~~I

The cheering ended rather quickly when Naruko was called to the field alongside Kankuro, silence descending as Genma raised his hand and swiftly brought it down before backing away. "Hajime!"

Naruko didn't move, gazing toward the Suna Nin that reached to grab one of his puppets while smirking at her. "Why don't you show me that little Chakra String trick you did earlier? I've been dying to find out how you ended up learning how to use them."

Naru tilted her head, and then she sighed and reached to grab the scroll attached near her kunai pouch on her Weapon's belt.

"You want to know? Well…Actions speak louder than words, my fellow Artist."

Naruko smirked and she unraveled the scroll as Kankuro's eyes widened in shock, her teeth biting into her thumb before running elegantly along the papyrus surface. A small column of smoke appeared, slowly vanishing to reveal Naruko and her weapon.

The puppet, sealed for a more epic reveal, was quite small. It stood barely to Naru's waist, but it made up for its size in design. The body of the puppet was vulpine in form, with a large muzzle and two eye sockets, four legs, and 9 tail like parts sticking out from the back. The fox's face bore two rows of poisoned metal teeth and a Senbon launcher was hidden inside its slim throat. The tails each had sharp metal tips dipped in poison, made of several interlocking joints that could be removed or bent with ease. The tails also had poison launchers that drew from the plaster inside of the fox's body, which could explode if needed. There were seals decorating the back of the fox like patterns on fur, guarded from view by rows of sharp thin spikes that could also fly free. The fox's face was covered in a porcelain white mask painted with red and black markings, the kanji for Kyu(Nine) imprinted above its empty eye sockets.

"How do you like Kurama? He's my first puppet…"

Naruko settled back into a stance and her fingers twitched, spurring the puppet to life as Kankuro's mouth opened in shock. "A-A puppet master?! B-But how!"

Kurama shot forward as Naruko answered, Kankuro barely dodging in time as the fox's tails swiped at him, bared with sharp metal spikes.

"My _Sensei_ was kind enough to teach me."

The fox twisted around the shocked Suna Nin to bind him. Behind them Genma froze in his spot as feathers started to rain down on the arena. Naruko chuckled while gazing into the Genjutsu, having broken it with awareness. One more of the tails shot out and wrapped around Kankuro, disabling him as the spike on the end nearly pierced his neck in a warning gesture to be complacent. Naruko guided Kurama back to her side while another tail started to form from parts hidden inside the puppet, and turned to gaze at her right side as a black cloaked Anbu member landed beside her in a soundless shuinsin.

"Sasori-Sama will be pleased to see it's working, Naru-Hime."

Genma's eyes widened as he recognized the voice, stepping forward as his lips grew into a thin line.

"Naru…Y-You, you are sided with _him_?!"

Naruko turned slightly to face Genma, her eyes softening as she smiled sadly at one of the few Jonin she didn't mind.

"Sorry Genma-San…I've always been with Kabuto. Of course…"

The girl turned and slammed her fist into the gut of the 'Anbu' member, causing him to grunt as his hood fell back to reveal silver locks and a pained face.

"N-Naru-hime…R-Really?"

Naru glared at him, her fox puppet curling around her legs as she spoke with thinly veiled anger.

"You very nearly killed Hayate, be glad that's all I'm doi-"

Naruko froze mid-sentence as a band on her wrist glowed, and Kabuto straightened as their eyes met in a silent conversation.

"He's calling…"

Kabuto whispered to the blond before him, causing her to nod in confirmation. The Uzumaki seemed to grow sad at this thought.

"Right, let's go."

The Uzumaki glanced backward at the shocked Genma, and her puppet released another tail that wrapped around the male, the blade facing away from him as she gripped Kabuto's shoulder.

She smiled at him, just before Kabuto whisked her away with a swirl of the wind.

I~~~~I

"I must admit, I'm a little impressed by your plan here Orochimaru. It's too bad you never accounted for my Apprentice, or the spy you held so close abandoning you."

Orochimaru's wide yellow eyes gazed upon the two nin that had just stopped him from using Edo-Tensei, both fair headed, and both former Konoha Nin.

"K-Kabuto…!"

Orochimaru hissed in anger as the silver haired boy smirked at his former master, Naruko smirking next to him as her puppet tightened around Orochimaru's form, her chakra strings aiding in binding the man along with a special paralysis serum she and Sasori had developed just for the Sannin.

"N-Naruko?"

The betrayed voice made Naru flinch, and she glanced behind her toward the Sandaime Hokage seated beside two of his Anbu, staring at her with his hurt hazel eyes.

"I'd be sorry Jiji…but I cannot mean it since I am glad to not work for the village anymore…You are of the few I see as someone I can care for and could trust here…but you are still not of the ones I _do_ trust."

Naruko turned and walked toward where her master stood between the Hokage and his student, drawing her arm around to her front as she swiftly kneeled before him, her head bowed in respect while her voice spoke firmly.

"It is done Sasori-Sama…I have finished my mission as a Leaf Nin and now await your instruction."

Sasori looked down at his student, before looking toward Kabuto whom had a couple seals ready and placed on ninja wire in his hands.

"Stand Naruko-San…It is time we settle my little farce with Orochimaru and leave this place behind. Kabuto, come."

Kabuto vanished from his spot only to reappear next to his friend and master, holding out the tags on wire toward Naruko as the girl stood straight.

Behind them Sarutobi cursed, forced to watch as Naruko lifted her hand, her chakra strings taking the ninja wire and sending it across the field toward the immobile Hebi Sannin, wrapping them around him. Orochimaru growled, but his eyes soon went wide when Naruko held up her hands and activated the seals. Orochimaru felt the prickling burning pain, as well as the sudden freedom he generated from the loss of the puppet binding him, before he felt weight crash down and force him to his knees.

Sasori moved in front of his younger companions, his eyes lighting up in amusement at the downed Sannin.

"Do you like my newest invention? It ties you to that body of yours….Mind and Soul. It took me _years_ to get it down, but with the help of my apprentice, _someone you overlooked as unimportant_ , and your very own _right hand man_ , I managed to get it completed. You will live in that body for the rest of your life now…and then you will die in it."

Sasori finished his little speech with a sigh, turning toward Naruko as a smirk twisted over his normally blank features. This was as much emotion as he'd allow himself however, even if the smirk vanished the moment he met Hiruzen's gaze.

"Sandaime, you really should have taken better care of your Jinchuuriki. Naruko has so much potential…and you threw that away by hiding so much from her. Information is one's greatest asset."

Hiruzen choked on his own air, managing a glare at the red headed Suna Nuke Nin.

"H-How long…?!"

Sasori glanced toward Naruko, prodding his apprentice to answer. The girl did, without even showing how freeing it felt to finally let go of the secret.

"Since I was six years old."

The fair headed Jinchuuriki closed her eyes, and as though the strings holding her up had been cut, she slumped and started to fall forward. Sasori reacted quickly and caught the falling Kunoichi, pulling her up into his arms with a deep sigh.

"It is sad that only you could activate that seal Naruko…And even then it drained your immense reserves quite thoroughly. I should be glad you didn't have to resort to using any more than you had."

Sasori spoke gently to his apprentice, ignoring the sudden scream of pain from behind him as a brilliant white flash erupted where Orochimaru had kneeled on the roof, the light turning blue as the chakra used started to condense back into the seal. Looking upward at Kabuto, Sasori nodded, and as the chakra condensed one final time, Sasori gave the silver haired man whom had just arrived on the roof a triumphant smirk. In the end, the Kitsune had already chosen his side, a single Hatake wouldn't change that. The red head relished the bright look of pain the man held as he and Kabuto disappeared from the red tiled roof.

It felt nice to one up the brat of the man who stole his family.

 **Damn Sasori, I really just love his character. I doubt I'm doing him justice, especially since he isn't a puppet in this and has allowances for emotion, but I feel like he would really enjoy playing around with Kakashi to get back at the White Fang.**

 **Well Not sure if I'll do another one of these, though if I do most likely it'll be Shippuden, so Naru will be older and more experienced, or I might just have them encounter Akatsuki or something.**

 **Either way I enjoyed this a little too much, as Sasori is just one of those very well-made characters that has a depth you wouldn't expect for such an easily killed-off villain. Too bad he couldn't live on and bug Deidera some more…LONG LIVE THE PUPPET MASTER!**

 **Omake- Kurama, Kurama, Kurama…Pet Kurama?**

As a centuries old giant _evil_ nine tailed beast of destruction and utter malevolence, Kurama really couldn't stress the point more about one single factor his container kept forgetting.

" **I am not some measly house pet fleshbag!"**

The blonde haired menace only held the small orange furred fox tighter in her embrace, chuckling lightly as she smirked down at him.

"Aww, but Kura-Chan, you have such soft fur and you tend to be just ador-"

Kurama's nine tails, while drastically shrunken, were still as deadly as the menace's own fox's tails were.

That's why Naruko stopped mid-sentence when all nine suddenly arched around her head, aiming to decapitate her if she finished the sentence.

The blonde frowned at him, before her lips twitched and her dulled eyes gained a sharp glint the fox knew to be warry of.

And just as the age old Kitsune was about to call out the Uzumaki on her odd behavior, a soft pair of lips met his cheek and his head was squished to a slightly bouncy surface known as Naru's chest.

"Would you really behead me, Ero-'Sune?"

Kurama sputtered as he fought to breathe, his normally dark eyes widened quite a bit just before he heard a dangerous clatter of clicking.

"Kurama-San…Why are you molesting my student?!"

The red haired Puppet Master hollered from his spot across the path from the two, and Naruko's devious lips twitched again as her plan came to fruition and a large number of puppets rose up from behind Sasori with a wave of vengeance.

" **D-Dammit Kit!"**

The fox barely had enough time to turn all nine tails and run for his hide.

Meanwhile, Sasori glared at the fox being chased by his insufferable Hundred Puppets, before he turned his gaze to the _innocent_ Uzumaki.

Raising a brow with a passive expression taking over his face, Sasori watched Naru fidget under her Sensei's measuring gaze, before the man shook his head, and promptly launched the girl onto his shoulder.

"Time for training."

Naruko yelped in shock.


	12. XII- Unspoken Secrets

**Universe-Fem Naruto Cannon**

 **Main Characters-Fem Naruto**

 **Side Characters-Kakashi**

 **Pairings-KakaNara**

 **Warnings-Fem Naru, little angst, mentions of death**

 **Origin-I had finished watching the Last Naruto Movie…which made me want to watch the Battle between Naruto and Pein, when I thought of something. Why did Naruto never say anything about his father? Especially to those who would have known, but didn't say anything. This made a certain scene play in my head, occurring right after Naruto talked to Pein. If you have not read/watched the fight, there are spoilers, so you've been warned.**

 **Background-After the battle with Pein and reviving everyone she cares for, Naruko has time to reflect on the fact that her father is the Fourth Hokage, and just how many people neglected to tell her this.**

 **Disclaimer-**

 **Chapter Dedicated to**

It hurt, now that Naruko was finally able to think clearly. Her back was pressed into the tree next to the memorial she had for Jiraya, the Ero-Sennin. A soft sigh left her lips and she winced as her head pounded. It wasn't only physical pain that the blonde haired girl felt either, it was emotional. She thought back to her Father, the Fourth Hokage, her idol. She remembered his words, had locked them away inside her heart so she would never forget what he had said. The pain was close to unbearable, ripping apart all she knew, all she had fought for and against. Her father was the Fourth Hokage, the Sensei of her Sensei, the Student of her Godfather. Neither had told her about her heritage…neither had been there when she was younger and needed help.

Something soft, a raw aching sound, left Naru's lips as she sobbed alone in the forest. She had lost so much, and now she had finally realized how much she had lost. She wanted so badly to see her father again, to speak to him and get to know him. It was a pain she was somewhat familiar with, as she had felt it with Jiraya, but it was also much worse. Sasuke had always said that the pain of losing someone you knew was greater than losing someone you hadn't known but longed to, however Naruko disagreed. The worst pain, was losing someone who was always there and you never knew it. Biting down on her bottom lip, Naru failed to stop the tears that spilt down her cheeks.

"Naruko?!"

A familiar voice that brought on a whole new emotion inside Naruko, the singular onyx eye that made her fists clench tight enough to draw blood. Naruko looked at the face of her Sensei, Hatake Kakashi, and swung her right hand straight into his face. Kakashi reared back, his hand drifting to his face in shock as he stumbled onto his backside. Naruko glared at him as more tears slid down her cheeks, fury raging in her Azure eyes. "W-What's wrong…Naruko?"

Finally, Naruko managed to speak past her anger and sadness, her voice scratchy from the sobs. "You never told me…That my father is Namikaze Minato…Y-You never told me!"

Kakashi's lone eye widened even further as he looked to his blonde student, before sorrow started to show in it along with guilt and self-hatred. "O-Oh Naruko…"

The Scarecrow slowly pulled himself forward, till he was crouched in front of the girl once more. It was then that Kakashi took his student's hands into his own, and pulled the girl into a hug. "S-Shit…I-I'm sorry…Damnit I'm sorry Naru…"

The sobs grew louder and the two Konoha nin remained in place, the elder holding the younger as he whispered how sorry he was, how he wished that he could have, how the Council forbade him. All the while Naruko sobbed into his chest, letting out everything she had until she finally calmed down. Her tears slowly vanished and her fists loosened their grip, allowing the skin her nails dug into to show. "It's okay now Naruko…I can tell you everything once we get back. N-No more secrecy, I can't keep the truth from you any longer."

I~~~~I

It was about an hour later that Naruko finally allowed Kakashi to take her back to the village, bidding one final farewell to her Godfather as she rested in her Sensei's arms. Kakashi had insisted on carrying her bridal style all the way back, despite her half-hearted protests. In the end, Kakashi carried her all the way back to the village. It was only when they reached the expanding wasteland that Naruko experienced the greatest shock, even greater than the knowledge of her parents.

Standing in the middle of the giant wasteland Naru had created in Kyuubi mode only hours before, was the entire population of Konoha. At the front of the large mass of people were the Konoha Twelve minus Sasuke and plus Sai, Kurenai standing beside Shikimaru while Gai raised his hand up toward them in a salute beside a crying Lee. Konohamaru stood just behind them, holding up an injured Ibisu with the help of a smiling Genma.

Naru felt her eyes water as she watched Sakura run over, her own green eyes glassy.

"You idiot!"

Sakura's hand shot out, slapping Naru across the face as Kakashi set her down, before the blonde was tugged into a hug by her teammate. Smiling despite the pain in her cheek, Naru embraced the girl, chuckling a bit.

"Neh, Sakura-Chan, you weren't worried were you?"

Sakura huffed, pulling away from the blonde idiot in order to rub the tears from her eyes. "S-Shut up Baka…"

Naru smiled gently at the girl, before her eyes took in the gathering Konoha Twelve. Sai appeared first, wrapping an arm around Naru's other shoulder. "Way to go Dickless."

Naru burst out laughing, Kakashi sighing as she leaned on him, her legs feeling weak while everyone congratulated her. "Naruko, my youthful Rival!"

Lee shot forward, crying out as he thrusted his right fist upward. Naruko grinned back at the boy, looking over the faces present. She paused when she saw a weak Hinata leaning on Neji's shoulder, a relieved breath leaving her lips. "H-Hinata-Chan…"

Sakura smiled at her teammate, and everyone paused when the village suddenly encircled them, others getting closer to Naru, thanking her, cheering toward her as they slowly drew her from Kakashi. Before the girl could collapse she was thrust above everyone's shoulders, launched into the air and caught before doing it again.

"You see it…don't you Sensei?"

Sakura spoke up softly next to her teacher as she watched Naru get shot through the air again, her face bright as she laughed.

"I do Sakura. She's strong…so very strong."

Kakashi let out a soft breath, grunting when he felt an elbow dig into his ribs. He looked down, and caught the deep glare of his pink haired student as she spoke up.

"You better hurry up an confess Sensei…because after this there's going to be so much requests for courting you won't have a chance."

Kakashi's eye snapped upward toward Naru's form, and it softened as he noted her bright smile, and the many glances she shot in his direction as she was cheered for.

"I know. I will…I promised her to stop keeping things from her after all."

 **Short and sweet, because there's only so much fluff I can take before I choke on my tea. Thanks for reading, request something if you want, through a prompt(single sentence I do what I wish based on) or even a pairing.**


	13. XIII- His Revenge

**Universe-His Naru**

 **Main Characters-Female Naruto, referred to with her birth name Naruto and Naruko,Sasuke, Itachi, Obito**

 **Side Characters-Zetsu, Team Taka, Konoha Twelve+Senseis**

 **Pairings-SasuNaru**

 **Warnings-Fluff, Non Con, Female Naruto, very blatant Uzumaki, and a deadest Namikaze ready to get answers.**

 **Origin-I'd have to say music and that box I keep under at least ten deadbolts at a time that resides in my head. I need a Pandora Box…but those things are hell to make!**

 **Background-Sasuke decides it's time to confront Itachi. He just didn't think it'd turn into an Uchiha Crash Therapy with Naruto as the shrink.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't even know if I want to own my own craziness, let alone Naruto type craziness**

 **Chapter Dedicated to my inability to remember the creator of Naruto's name just after reading it.**

"And now Outoto, I will claim your eyes and gain the full-"

Itachi froze, eyes widening in shock when Sasuke wiggled his pinky inside his ear, yawning softly while glancing off to the side, toward the entrance of the building.

"Fourty One…"

"-Mangekyo Sharingan…?"

"Fourty Two"

"Are you even paying attention…"

Sasuke blinked and looked back toward Itachi, humming. "Did you say something 'Tachi?"

The Weasel named Uchiha was beyond confused as Sasuke grunted and continued counting.

"Fourty Five…"

And Counting.

"Fourty Six."

And Counting…

"Fourty Seven."

Still Counting…

"Fourty Eight."

Itachi's eyebrow rose and he sighed and pulled out his box of pocky.

"Fourty Nine…"

Itachi was just about to take a bite of his strawberry pocky, when the stick was snatched from his fingers. His eyes snapped open and he turned toward the person who dared take his sweets-

He froze upon seeing sparkling blue orbs, glinting at Itachi while the male tried to process the fact that the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki just happened to be standing beside him, munching (adorably mind you) on his pocky.

"Fifty…About time Dobe."

The blonde haired Jinchuuriki stuck out her tongue at the male, having finished her pocky, now savoring the taste by licking her lips.

Itachi nearly fell over when the girl casually reached and took another stick of Pocky from his box and settled herself beside his little throne, earning him a dark glare from Sasuke as the girl smiled at him.

"No need to fight Sasuke-Teme Weasel-Kun, he already knows about why you killed the Clan. Got his revenge with Danzo too, son of a bit-"

Sasuke had his hand to the girl's lips in moment, huffing at her for ruining his effect, Itachi close to slipping from his chair at the sudden news. He sputtered even when Naru suddenly _bit_ Sasuke, causing the male to smirk and lean in, whispering into the Blonde's ears.

It was too bad for Itachi that his sharingan was active, and he could read his little Ototou's lips.

' _If you keep acting like that I'll have to take you back to the bedroom and-'_

Itachi shot upward, cutting the boy off and making a flushed Uzumaki pout when he hid his pocky.

" _Enough!_ What the hell is going on?!"

Naru blinked at Itachi, still staring at the hand that had magically hidden the pocky, while Sasuke smirked at his older brother and leaned in to hold his blonde to his chest.

"What does it look like? I'm teasing my Naruto."

Itachi's head slammed into his palm faster than Naruto could start blushing again.

I~~~~I

Uchiha Madara, otherwise known as 'Tobi' or Obito really, could only stare at the sight before him that Zetsu had told him he 'just had to see with his own damned red eyes'. At least it wasn't worse, after all when you walked in on the Uchiha Brothers reunion you'd expect death and _lots_ of pointless Genjutsu, but instead he walked into a sight that was bordering on pathetic, while still being somehow adorable.

Itachi was feeding a smiling Nine Tails _Jinchuuriki_ some of his pocky, a smug smirk etched on his face and directed toward a shocked and jealous Sasuke whom had said Jinchuuriki seated in his lap.

The two brothers were bickering like almost all siblings do (the normal ones!), adoring a grinning girl that sucked in all the affection and gave back her adorable and very bright replies.

The girl paid both ravens equal attention, and seemed to be enjoying herself until she paused, and turned to face Obito from his _hidden_ spot with Zetsu.

"What the hell is that?!"

The girl pointed and launched herself behind Itachi, clinging to his arm as he raised a brow, before sending that smug look back at an irate Sasuke.

"The Human flytrap?"

Sasuke offered, glancing toward Zetsu as Naru pointed.

"No, the orange masked one!"

Obito's eyebrow started ticking, just before he found himself tackled to the ground by a very happy Uzumaki.

"Orange!"

Obito couldn't think straight as Naruto grinned from her spot, the two Uchiha brothers gaining dark auras from _their_ blonde being taken away.

"Kami help me…"

Naru blinked at the man, before tilting her head back at a really awkward angle to look at the other Uchiha's.

"Neh, Teme why does this guy smell like Kakashi?"

Both Uchiha perked up at this, and Obito swallowed as he looked at the girl who inched closer to his masked face, just before Itachi spoke up.

"He's Uchiha Madara Naruto…you might want to give him some space."

Naru looked back toward the Uchiha siblings, before she shrugged and walked back.

"It's not like he can do anything. If he tries to extract Kurama then he'll die. Tou-San made sure to tie Kurama's soul to mine, so unless I give birth and transfer the fluffy Kitsune to my kid, he's staying in my belly."

Sasuke paused, before a smirk took over his features.

"Children, huh Naru-Chan?"

Sasuke tugged the blonde close to him, an arm wrapped around her waist.

"How about you _elaborate_."

Sasuke purred against Naru's ear, and sadly for both Itachi and Obito, their sharingan were both activated. Which meant, of course, that they read his lips as he spoke into the Jinchuuriki's ear.

A bright blush descended on Naruto's cheeks as she opened her mouth to object, only to end up being silenced by Sasuke kissing her.

Itachi sighed from behind his brother, edging closer to the flabbergasted Madara and amused and intrigued Zetsu.

"So…you ready to give up on the whole extracting the Biju since you can't do it without the Kyuubi, and currently he's stuck in Naru for good?"

Obito tried to work his mouth behind his mask, but it was still not functioning properly as he watched Naru get pushed into a wall.

"W-Wha?"

Itachi hummed and took out his Pocky, ignoring his surroundings as he ate.

I~~~~I

 **And thus, the Akatsuki Leader was reduced to a shocked mess, that was soon delivered to Konoha's doorstep.**

 **Shorter for sure, but I didn't know where else to go with it without making the drabble become…odd. It was already descending into Therapy territory, but instead it took the turn of a possessive Sasuke.**


	14. XIV- The Lone Wolf

**Universe-TLJ**

 **Main Characters-Kakashi, Itachi**

 **Side Characters-Naruko(Fem Naruto), Revived Kage, Team Seven, Ichihara(Neh?)**

 **Pairings-Developing KakaNaru (Deep Caring)**

 **Warnings-Angst(Because I can't write any fluff anymore apparently), Edo Tensei, Tsukiyomi**

 **Origin-I'd say my mind again, to be lazy, but Honestly it sparked from watching Half Life Theories, Avatar Facts, and Star Wars videos on Youtube…Also, KAKASHI'S FACE REVEAL! Take that Charity!**

 **Background-In the aftermath of being taken down by his former Protégé, Kakashi experiences the worst hell he ever could. It's only a testament to the red bundle of emotions that he manages to come out intact.**

 **Disclaimer-Honestly…need I truly do this? I own my kitchen (Not my mother, hah!) and my stand mixer and my desk crowded with too many acrylics (Blasphemy!) but I could never not ever truly actually even partially own Naruto, just this plot and the dangerously growing mountain of One-Shots pilling in my mind. (As well as my Kakashi and Tobirama clay figures that I have way too much fun making)**

 **Chapter Dedicated to Kakashi's face reveal.**

His mouth burned, his throat coated in what felt like ash. The world around him shifted, changing between red and black to black and white. Hundreds of figures littered the area around him, each harboring the glowing red eye with three black tomo.

"Kakashi, are you truly this resilient?"

Kakashi ignore the jab at his sanity, focusing instead on something other than the pain of the sword in his ribs, the darkening corners of his vision, or the pounding headache he felt.

His world was upside down, flattened and turned on its side, burned beyond recognition and regenerated into something horrifying.

Truthfully, being stuck in someone's ability to control _your_ _very thoughts_ , the way you _perceived the world_ was utterly and understandably nightmarish.

Mulling even for a second over the topic brought his head to a blearing halt as a searing pain shot through him once more, hundreds of other Itachi's impaling him with blades coated in a sheen of imaginary, but still hurtful, poison.

"Can you withstand it till the very last second? When all but a single one has passed in the time you've been here?"

Kakashi's head swayed as the pain vanished in an instant, replaced by an edgy feeling as Itachi's cold and uncaring eyes met his lone orb.

"Can you withstand your own personal hell…and what it truly entails?"

Kakashi could have replied, stated how he's experience hell before, and picked himself up again. The problem is, he was barely able to do that then, and doubted he'd do it now.

(In the back of his mind, the image of a certain red haired Uzumaki is drawn to play, her lips twitching as she hides her amusement, her eyes glinting as she stands relaxed beside him.)

"I see…"

If anything, those two words frighten Kakashi more than Itachi's slight threats ever did, and it's only later that he realizes that he truly slipped up.

(Now though, he can only watch as he's impaled by hundreds of other blades once more, Itachi's cool gaze embedded into his memory because his sharingan has spun to life, his eye unclenched amidst the pain.)

I~~~~I

It was worse than being stabbed, because watching the blood slip down the jacket that Naruko had taken to wearing was a painful reminder that if Kakashi failed, he'd have to deal with this as a reality.

The projection was too real for the Copy Nin's tastes, holding in its pain as it glared at Itachi, wounds slowly healing over and over as Itachi continued to press the tips of his weapons to her skin.

(It, _it,_ because that wasn't Naruko, wasn't Akihane despite the mimicry. Itachi would never _truly_ be able to mimic the girl, because he didn't _know_ her like Kakashi did, he didn't spend night after night agonizing about how to not _fail_ someone again.

A sharp whimper left her lips, and suddenly Kakashi was no longer attached to the pole, but instead standing in front of the red haired girl with hundreds of cuts and bleeding eyes.

She gasped, and he could feel wet _metallic_ fluid spilling over his arm, a shaky gasp leaving his lips as the sound of birds ignited in his ears and Akihane slumped against his arm, the Chidori driven through her chest fading away as Kakashi crumbled to his knees.

(He saw _Obito_ and _Rin_ , both betrayed by him, and he felt the sticky blood resting on his hands as he stared down at the glassy eyes beneath him.)

It was too real, his own personal hell.

Tears slipped down his cheeks, and he clutched the body to him as she gasped out words.

" _W-Why…K-Kakashi…"_

Even with the knowledge that this wasn't real, that Naruko was _alive_ , Kakashi couldn't help but weep.

I~~~~I

He could hear it, the rushed breathing. He was tied again, arms hanging on chains above his head as he watched the red haired girl scream from her spot on the ground, boiling red chakra flowing from her mouth and eyes, surrounding her as it was drawn away, into the shadows.

Itachi stood before the girl, silent, watching as she wreathed in agony over having Kurama dragged from her _again and again_.

Hours of this torture, hours of watching himself cause Naruko pain or watching her deal with that same pain alone, his own body helpless and _unable to do anything_.

It hurt, it was _too_ much for any normal man to bare.

Only the knowledge that this wasn't real, that Akihane was safe with _Jiraya_ …Only that truly kept him sane.

"You are strong…Kakashi. You grieve and you lose yourself, but not entirely. You still remain aware that this is a Genjutsu, still remain aware of yourself. It's admirable, but foolish. It only means more pain…more images of her hurting, more images of your entire world disappearing. It means more pain, all because you didn't give in."

Kakashi lifted his head a fraction, to gaze into Itachi's soulless eyes as the boy stepped forward, raising his hand as he appeared in front of Kakashi again, a blade already shooting through Kakashi's spine.

The Hatake's teeth ground together, his head fell forward, and Itachi tore the blade from his chest and thrusted it into his eye.

A breathless scream left Itachi's clothed lips, his eyes slipping closed.

I~~~~I

He still was unsure how long it had been, despite the constant reminders from his torturer.

So, when his eyes opened again, to the white ceiling of the hospital and the smell of cleaners mixed with salt like the ocean, he wasn't sure what was going on.

It was only when red filled his vision and arms rested over his chest did he realize his company.

Akihane was hugging him, _actually hugging him_ , sleeping soundlessly at his side while two heads of raven hair and a single head of salmon could be seen at the other edge of the bed.

And standing guard, gold mask settled over fine features, was Kin Kitsune. He was watching them, and he gave a nod to Kakashi before vanishing soundlessly in a blur of yellow.

Kakashi rose upward, a little confused as he saw Sasuke and Sakura and another older boy that strangely enough looked a lot like-

The older man's eyes opened, revealing piercing blue as Ichihara shot upward, a gasp leaving his lips while his arms shot toward Kakashi and the very confused Hatake was tugged into a hug from one of his childhood friends.

"K-Kakashi! You're awake!"

Like a domino effect, all three Genin at his side woke, Ichihara pulling away from the shocked Jonin as Akihane blinked at her Sensei, before sadly smiling as she removed her arms from his side.

"Kakashi…Good thing you're awake, we have a lot to talk about."

(In the back of his mind, where the relaxed part of him that was effected by Itachi's tricks lay, Kakashi translated her words.)

' _Kakashi…I'm glad you're awake…now tell me what happened.'_

He nodded faintly, his eye watching the girl fidget, sadness locked away in her normally blank blue orbs.

' _Yes, we do.'_

 **And that's my take on that. Not long, though really it isn't supposed to be. Drabbles are 1k words-ish, thought I went over by a few hundred (oops).**


	15. XV- When It Changes

**Universe-TLJ(The Lone Jinchuuriki)**

 **Main Characters-Naruto, OC/Sashiko**

 **Side Characters-Team Seven+Sai, Sarutobi, OC/Kurai Hafu, Orochimaru**

 **Pairings-Maybe if you squint…**

 **Warnings-Angst, not really fluffy and a depeaned plot. Cannon Divegence, Timeline Changes, Darker Naru, Fem Naru, OC's, Non-Konoha Centric.**

 **Origin-How The Lone Jinchuuriki was supposed to go, had a certain Orshizoku OC not interfered.**

 **Background-She stared at the sky, her heart failing to beat as tears slipped over her tanned cheeks. A mellow laugh leaving her soft lips as she twisted around, the black cloak she wore twisting over her legs. A spark of silver in her hand, showing the black fabric that held the silver plate symbolzing her former allegiance to Konoha. The small hand clenched around the metal as golden-turned red locks fell over the saddened blue eyes turned mesmerizing violet. "I will make the most of the life you gave me Sashiko…Nee-San." Behind the crimson haired girl darkness fell over a slumbering Village, Hidden in the Leaves.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, it's characters, or its main plot, only my plot, the Oreshizoku Clans, and any clothing mentioned…**

 **Chapter Dedicated to The Lone Jinchuuriki finally ending.**

The sun fell upon her back as the blue eyed girl sighed gently. She looked around the road she walked, the path entering a small village humming with life even in the late evening. Children raced along the streets, some barely a few years younger than Naruko herself. The Uzumaki tilted her head downward and continued along her walk forward, tugging the hood of her dark cloak further over her arburn hair in an effort to remain unseen.

It had only been a week since Naru had left Konoha behind, the headband with a slash drawn throw it's center proof of her detachment from her 'home' village. The headband rested against her collar bone, the cold metal reminding her of her purpose despite the many days she spent losing track of her goal.

A light gasp to her side drew her attention to a little girl, possible 4 years old(And didn't that strike a cord), who held a bright blue ball as she looked at the girl she had just run into.

"I-I'm sorry Miss! I-I just wanted my ball…"

Naru bit back a sob and nodded at the child, trying to move away. The wound spawned from her failure to revive Sashiko was still fresh, even after all that happened. "It's fine."

The Uzumaki rushed away in a flurry of black cloth, ignoring the awed children watching her back and the warry villagers who gave her a wide birth upon noticing the very present grace she carried herself with automatically. _Shinobi_ was unsaid, but implied all the same as Naru rushed to leave the town behind, trying to ignore the blinding and searing pain her heart now endured over the sight of the brunette child's dark blue eyes.

I~~~~I

Kakashi stopped impatiently as he watched Pakkun sniff at the ground, trying to catch the scent of a single runaway Jinchuuriki that had turned into a hundred. The use of Blood Clones to escape Kakashi and other Tracker's attention was clever, but the girl hadn't accounted for the Sandaime sending out almost every single tracking team he had, including Team Eight, in hopes of finding the blonde haired girl. Kakashi's trail led into the dense forests of Fire Country before veering onto the civilian trading road, proceeding to cut past other clone's paths before stopping outside an old merchant village near the border to Wave Country.

The Trail Kakashi was on worried him, since if this wasn't in fact a clone and actually the real Naru, then that meant that the girl could have already made it toward Wave Country, and Kakashi couldn't follow her any further without risking alerting their enemies that something was amiss.

The silver haired Scarecrow pushed his hair back and sighed heavily, the breath shuttering as the Jonin tried not to collapse under the extra weight on his already heavy shoulders. He should have ignored all his insecurities and gotten close to Naruko, taken care of her. Maybe then he wouldn't be looking all around Fire Country tailing a fading trail made by his Sensei's Daughter. Maybe then, he wouldn't have lost someone else once more to his own selfishness.

"Sensei…You'll never forgive me for letting her go, will you…I'm so sorry."

Kakashi's hand dropped to his face, and the man felt his chest ache more so, his summon looking up at him with darkened eyes.

"Kakashi, I found it."

The Copy Nin composed himself quickly, nodding at his summon to lead the way.

I~~~~I

A gentle sigh left Naruko's pale lips as she slipped under the cool water of the river she stopped by, her hands reaching to scrub at the revealed parts of her body. She still wore her chest bindings and shorts, the rest of her clothes left on a rock nearby for when she finished her little dive.

Bubbles floated upward from the water as Naru ducked her head under, springing back up and pushing her spiky hair back as she stared upward at the rising sun. The water was cold, but thanks to Kurama Naru didn't really feel chilled. Her body was warm, ready for another day of losing the tails she had tracking her.

It had barely been a week since she started running, a week since she left Konoha for good and drew a kunai through her headband.

' **Kit, there's someone watching you.'**

Naruko didn't show any difference in her actions, sighing gently again before rising from the water, drawing her hands to her hair in order to ring it out. She sent out a pulse of chakra through the ground as her foot hit the riverbank, the chakra surging outward before shooting up around a crouched figure a little ways away from her stop.

' _I know…Attack or ignore?'_

Naruko walked toward her gear, the sun barring down at her tanned back as she slipped her shirt over her head, grabbing her black cloak afterwards.

' **Attack.'**

Naru didn't comment, reaching for her leather cord to tie up her head, right up until the last knot when she flicked her fingers across the seals inscribed on the fabric, tossing a summoned Senbon at her watcher.

She turned swiftly, her eyes narrowed on the spot the person had been hiding as a grunt came from that area.

Within a single moment Naru had vanished from the spot she resided, appearing behind the figure crouched in the bushes, holding their injured arm as they stumbled backward.

Her hand shot out, gripping the follower's shoulder as she turned his body sharply, their faces becoming alarmingly close as a kunai seemed to appear in her palm, caressing the jugular of her stalker.

"Well…Uchiha, you honestly should know better than to sneak up on a Kunoichi."

Naru's lips tilted into a smug smirk as her azure orbs gazed into the shocked obsidian of Uchiha Sasuke, the last loyal Uchiha of Konoha.

I~~~~I

"So, you followed me because you want my help finding your brother?"

Naru spoke up over her saucer of tea as she sipped at it, ignoring the looks she gained from Sasuke over her calm demeanor.

"Yes, Konoha would only hold me back. You are…stronger than anyone else I know. You act like an idiot and yet you managed to leave Konoha with one of its most prized possessions."

Naruko's eyes flitted over the Uchiha momentarily, before her right hand slipped down, resting on her crossed legs. She once again wore her shirt and cloak, her fishnet covering the skin of her revealed legs. "What makes you think I'd help you? You have nothing I want."

Sasuke frowned at her, his teeth grinding into one another as he started to speak.

"I'm an Uchiha, I can-"

Naru sighed deeply and closed her eyes, setting her cup down.

"That title will get you no-where outside of Konoha except for six feet under. I care nothing for it and honestly I see you as a disgrace. Now If you'll excuse me, I have to hurry and continue on my way before my trackers find me."

Naruko rose to her feet, ignoring the shocked look she received from Sasuke as she ignored him in favor of finishing her tea, sealing it and the kettle in one of her scrolls as she gathered her things.

"W-What about Ryo?! I can also share Clan techniques!"

The Uchiha's desperate tone made Naruko pause, before a sigh left her lips.

"I don't need any of that, I already have what I want. Now go, before you get me caught."

Naruko glanced back just enough for Sasuke to perceive her darkened gaze, and then she vanished with her stuff, leaving the boy alone in the clearing.

She reappeared several meters away, pushing against the upper branch of a tree, sending herself closer to the border of Fire Country and Wave Country's Ocean.

Her eyes shaded, before they slowly turned red, three tomo swirling lazily as she continued through the trees, speeding herself up as she released her seals, using her sharingan to perceive her surroundings in time with her jumps.

I~~~~I

It was dark when she reached the ocean, the salty smell clearing her senses as she camped out in an inn, using the Ryo she had retrieved from the box of scrolls Sashiko left behind.

Her hand ghosted over the scroll at her side, holding the rest of her information, including the forbidden techniques of Konoha, and her own history.

She slipped into her room quietly, removing her cloak and setting it off to the side as she shuffled around the room.

She took note of how things were placed, cataloguing it before she slipped the lock on the door closed, flashing through two hand signs and pressing her palm to the door. A silence seal sprouted under her palm, swirling ink fading into the door as she relaxed.

Finally she took a seat next to the bed, grabbing her scroll and unrolling it as her eyes watered. Her fingers ghosted over the scrawling lines copied by Sashiko, a singular Storage scroll made for her fourth birthday that took Sashiko months to complete.

And now, it was being used to hold the other gifts left to her.

She sifted through the arrangement as she unsealed them, moving the biggest scroll to her right while she moved the smaller scrolls to the left, taking the black and red colored scrolls to the front. She sifted through the photos also sealed there, a faint watery trail appearing on her cheek as she stared at the picture of a red haired woman, faded and worn at the edges, a blonde haired male resting his hands on her shoulders as he grinned at the camera.

The woman's right hand rested on her husbands, the left resting on her bulging stomach that spoke of pregnancy.

"K-Kaa-San…"

Naruko whispered brokenly, tracing the two people with her thumb as her eyes slipped closed.

Too think, all these years, Sashiko had the answers to her heritage stored away inside her apartment, left in case the girl's worst fears came true.

More tears slipped down her cheeks, and in the small room, Naruko finally allowed herself to give in, silent sobs racking her body.

I~~~~I

A boat toward Uzushio was all that was needed, and with a small stack of Ryo and a shake of her hand, she acquired what she needed.

Her hand ghosted back over her scroll, but she shook her head and stepped onto the boat as the boatmen powered the engine.

He led her across the sea, toward the outer waters of Uzushio where the Whirlpools would begin.

And when they reached the destination, she saluted the man and asked he never speak of her, before she stepped onto the foggy waters, pushing chakra into her feet, and walked away.

(She never saw the light smile on the old man's face, or the shaded violet eyes that watched her walk into the mist leading toward the mainland, a soft whisper leaving his lips.)

" _Let the Blood of the Many Clans lead you to the future."_

 **These always seem to draw my attention, especially with TLJ's ending and the beginning of The Chosen Jinchuuriki coming soon. Still I'm working on finishing the story but my mind really doesn't know what to type and more often than not I'm going backwards from the ending to the current chapter, which is exactly how I'm writing my own books and it's utterly** _ **horrible**_ **. I managed to get most of it done though and each one has about 3-4k words, so they'll be long enough to satisfy you (maybe?). Anyways, enjoy this snip bit of what would have happened, had Edo-Tensei not actually worked.**


	16. XVI- A Jinchuuriki's Pain

**Universe-Any with Fem Naru really**

 **Main Characters- Fem Naru**

 **Side Characters- Sakura, Tsunade, Sasuke, Kakashi**

 **Pairings-Hinted KakaNaru and SasuNaru**

 **Warnings-Angst, no fluff**

 **Origin-Just something that came to mind**

 **Background-Parts of a Poem I wrote, pieced together with little snips of Naruko's life.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, but I own the Poem (Bold Lettering)**

 **Chapter Dedicated to School coming back…again**

 _ **I'm not sure what it means to me anymore, maybe it's simply a mess inside my head.**_

Spiky blonde bangs fell down to cover glassy blue eyes. Delicate deceiving hands held tightly to the rope on either side of the little girl's form in order to keep herself. An orange jump suit was worn over her clothes, covering her developing body. Her sad orbs looked toward the many families wishing their best wishes upon the Academy children who had made Genin.

 _ **The pain grows every second I stand, and sitting only brings judgement my heart can no longer take.**_

"Hey, isn't that the girl?" The hissed remark was not lost on the little blonde's ears, her body flinching as she felt her chest start to ache. "Yah, that demon child." Naruko's hands clenched around the rope as her upper teeth ground down onto her lower. "Shh, you shouldn't speak about it!"

 _ **Everything I do only seems to heighten the burden, which weighs on my shoulders**_

"I-I'm not a demon dammit!" Naruko shot up from her spot, earning more glares and startled looks from her classmates. Tears built in her eyes as she turned sharply and ran away from the red Academy building.

 _ **Everything I see, everything I believe simply means nothing compared to the pain I feel**_

She picked up her pace as the tears slipped down her cheeks, anger and the bitter loneliness chewing at her fragile heart.

 _ **Day to day, Week to Week, it doesn't matter**_

What had she done? 12 years had gone by and still she remained the infamous demon child of Konoha.

 _ **All this time I can only deal, not knowing if I will have to continue**_

She slowed to a stop, large drops of water hitting her face as she panted. Her eyes where glazed as she stared at the training ground before her. Biting down on her lip enough to draw blood, Naruko looked at the sun shower.

 _ **I wish to give up but through all this I know I can't**_

The waters slipped down her face and she withheld a sob at the gently touch. It was so unfamiliar and utterly devastating.

 _ **I have people I love, people who want me here**_

She thought to Iruka, the man who tried so hard to help her pass.

 _ **Sticking through this pain and hurt**_

Hiruzen, the Third Hokage came to mind as she clenched her right hand against her chest.

 _ **I'm not sure about this anymore, not at all.**_

Was it normal to feel this much pain, at simple words and insults that she had gotten every day of her life? Was it okay that she was treated like she had killed millions in cold blood and mocked them about it?

 _ **This mess only grows as the days go by, the pattern repeating.**_

She stood back at the Academy, shaking slightly as she thought to when she was last there. The memories of Mizuki's words were still present inside of her mind, Iruka's calming voice reassuring her despite the continued glares and the murmurings about her headband.

 _ **I wish for release but get very little, and even then it seems to only leave more pain then it can take away**_

"You paint?" Naruko paused upon hearing the question, holding the small black brush in her hands with a piece of parchment stretched out in front of her. Blue eyes met a lone black one, Hatake Kakashi looking surprised at the revelation. His eye was dark however focused on the images of fire and bodies that Naru had placed onto the parchment. Naru promptly rolled up the scroll.

 _ **I wish to lighten it instead of help it grow, but I can no longer think right.**_

Clawing at her throat with sharpened nails, Naruko fought to breathe past the tears and pain that she felt. Her chest her so much, her breathing coming out in choked sobs as she collapsed onto the hard surface of the ground. The mocking chirp of birds wasn't too far away.

 _ **My thoughts are clouded with anger and frustration**_

"I should have killed you when I had the chance, Bastard." Dark eyes glared at the raven haired male, Naruko's fists clenched tight enough to draw blood from her palms. "But I just couldn't bring myself to your level."

 _ **Throughout my days all I can do is be negative towards everything inwardly, and put on a smiling mask for the judges.**_

"Naruko!" The blonde girl turned and smiled sheepishly at her teammate, only to yelp and clutch her head as Sakura slammed her fist into the blonde locks. _'Bitch.'_

 _ **I must continue this charade because I simply don't know how to be mean.**_

"Why are you always cheerful Naru? I see that they annoy you, anger you…and yet you just smile of let out the smallest amount of annoyance and bottle up the rest." Naruko sighed at Shikimaru's question, hitting the Pineapple haired boy over the head gently. "I have no idea what you mean."

 _ **I go through it all without knowing how to share the pain**_

"Are you okay?" Naru walked passed Kakashi, not even nodding to the man as she headed home from Ichiraku. "I'm fine." A tear slipped down her cheek.

 _ **And even when I do it only creates more**_

"Dammit…If I had known I would have helped." Kakashi clutched the shaking blonde to his chest, closing his own eyes as the pain inside his chest grew. "I'm so sorry Naruko…I'm such a horrible Sensei."

 _ **I'm meant to deal with this alone,**_

"Naru you aren't alone in this!" She ignored him in favor of rushing into the battle alone. "That's what you believe."

 _ **Or so my thoughts tell me**_

" **Kit…You can't work with them."** "I know."

 _ **I have no reprieve, for I have no comfort in the pain.**_

"I-it hurts…" Naru clutched her bleeding wrist to her chest, tears on her cheeks as a lone red tail curled around her shaking body. No words were said to help her.

 _ **The tears that I shed are unending and even when I believe they are gone, they reappear.**_

"Ahh…" Naruko relaxed against the wall of the bathroom, her eyes darkened slightly as she stared up at the ceiling. "I suppose…" She allowed herself to relax.

 _ **It pains me even more to say after all this, I still don't understand.**_

"Why?! Why do you hate me! I never did anything wrong!" Naruko glared at Sasuke as red chakra built around her. "You're wrong…You cared."

 _ **I can write my emotions, and burn them in my hands,**_

Naru sighed and looked down at the parchment in her hands, the elegant script that expressed her darkest self. She held the paper up, and blew out with fire chakra. The paper caught fire and she let go watching as it flew upward, slowly turning to little more than ash.

 _ **But they stay the same, my thoughts unending and horrid**_

She sat down, shaking once more as she tried desperately not to think about anything. Her emotions were running wild, and the thoughts she had cast out and burned were back once more.

 _ **My nerves alive and on edge,**_

A kunai flew across the room, cutting part of Kakashi's silver hair off as it landed beside his head. He looked shocked, staring down at the quivering mess lying on the rotted wood floors.

 _ **My heart aching and my body stressed.**_

"You need rest Naruko." Naru slipped the red coat over her arms, pulling it around her as she stood and grabbed the rest of her equipment. "I'm fine." Sakura could see her shaking.

 _ **My soul is tormented by its own existence, without any reason to truly give up other than shear laziness.**_

"Is Sasuke your nightmare?" Naruko bursted out into laughter at the question Konohamaru had asked her, leaning down to kiss his forehead. "No." _'I am.'_ "Come on, I'm tired, let's call it a day." Konohamaru didn't remind her they barely practiced for two hours.

 _ **What does any of this pain mean?**_

She stared down at the village, crouched on the Hokage heads. She touched her chest, wincing as she felt the familiar sting.

 _ **What does it truly stand in for?**_

She looked at her hand with sad eyes, wondering why it hurt.

 _ **My lack of attention,**_

Naru thought of the many times the adults would turn their backs on her, the pranks that she would pull in order to gain the wrong kind of attention.

 _ **My lack of parents?**_

She gently touched the stone beneath her, wondering as she stared down at a family of three, how it felt to have a mother or father.

 _ **I feel abused.**_

The jabs continued, a glass bottle flying at Naru's head. She didn't avoid it, allowing it to break and leave her with blood-matted hair.

 _ **I expect the worse out of everything.**_

"You've already starved me, what more can you do?! Right now dying would be the best thing that could happen to me, and you'd all be happy it was one of you that dealt me in you fucking bastards!"

 _ **My brother figure gives be these hate lidded looks, and the elders I believed to be good simply judge me behind my back.**_

"S-Sasuke…" Naruko clenched her fists as she stared at the boy across from her. She missed the fear in the eyes of her other teammate as well as the anger.

 _ **Not hearing the words spoken torments me endlessly, and though I know they love me but the remarks about my uselessness destroy the peace.**_

"Please, please just don't!" She shouted at the man, shaking as tears threatened to slip from her blue eyes. The dark skinned ivory haired Kage glared down at her, his lip curling in disgust. "No ninja with any self-respect would grovel this pitifully." Naruko didn't miss the disappointed look from her Sensei when she raised her head and watched the Raikage's retreating back.

 _ **I don't communicate and wish to shut myself out, but know that that will always be impossible with my crave to be loved**_

"Don't shut me out Naruko, just because you don't know how to deal with love!" Kakashi forced the blonde against the wall, as Sakura flinched backward in shock. Naruko stared at her Sensei, eyes darkening as she slumped into the older man's arms. "S-Shut up."

 _ **I no longer know what my life means, to anyone or even myself.**_

"What happened to becoming Hokage?" Naruko paused for a moment at the question, turning to face her Sensei with a blank stare. "The Truth."

 _ **The pain I bring unsettles me,**_

"Naruko…" Kakashi leaned back against the wall of the hospital room, allowing his face to fall into his hands as tears slipped down his masked face. From inside the room, Naru clutched her chest hard enough to tear the skin and turn her hospital gown red.

 _ **The happiness I give excites me,**_

"Gaki." Tsunade hit her over the head and ruffled her hair in affection, Kakashi clutching her small hand as Naruko laughed gently, her eyes light. Sakura giggled from behind the three. Yamato shaking his head beside an amused Sai and smirking Anko. "I told you!" She felt lighter than ever before.

 _ **And the bonds I create, good or bad, continue to confuse me. What I do makes no sense half the time, and the other half I'm too focused on my depression to care.**_

"So what is this to you?" Sasuke gestured between them, eyes dark and narrowed on the Blonde before him. She sighed. "A bond…"

She stared at the male version of her with dark red eyes, a cruel smirk on his lips. "What am I, Naruko?" He chuckled, and stepped forward while his words sent shivers down her spine. "The bond of your Negative Emotions."

 _ **I constantly ache, all over…**_

"Will you give in Naruko?" The sweet yet chilling voice of Yami Naruto shook Naruko's core, her resolve crumbling as she let herself collapse under the strain.

 _ **My emotions are disappearing and being replaced by darker ones.**_

"Give in, let me take over. I will protect you, I'll protect us." The warmth from the hug wasn't present, but Naruko leaned into her darker half anyways, the loving and soothing voice bringing her forgotten peace.

 _ **Every time I smile all I feel is a deep pit, reminding me of the darkness I have**_

"Naruko." Reaching down, the Red haired woman pulled her daughter into a tight embrace. The warmth was strange, especially after the cold hug she had just been pulled away from. Sadly, it only reminded Naruko of the darkness she held.

 _ **Everyone around me believes me to be the exact opposite of who I believe I am.**_

"Naruko? She's our savior!"

"Uzimaki-San is an Angel…She's nothing like anyone else."

"She means the world to me…I'd die for her."

"N-Naru-Chan n-never goes b-back on her word."

"She deals with anyone's shit and accepts them for who they are."

 **Only I know the real me**

"I'm Naruko Akihane Uzimaki, Jinchuuriki of Konoha and friend to the Tailed Beasts. I keep the bonds I have and hide behind the mask other put on my face."

"I am the deceiver."

 **This is actually really old. The Poem is an original of mine, and last year I added Naruko to it because it fit. It's sad, yah, but I really can't write fluff often. It's hard to, because my mind turns one work into an entire dictionary and I have millions of rants inside my head that threaten to take over my writing. It helps to have other arts, such as drawing, painting, sculpting, decorating, cooking, and gaming, but still I have these chapters where I can't help but write something sad, because It helps release stress. Thanks for reading, it really means a lot to me.**


	17. XVII- Minato's Daughter

**Universe-Daddy Jinchuuriki/TLJ Alternate**

 **Main Characters-Fem Naruto, Minato**

 **Side Characters- OC (Michiko Oreshizoku), Tsunade, Sarutobi**

 **Pairings-None**

 **Warnings-Fem Naruto, Father Daughter fluff, descriptive deaths, Character Death, Minato-style-Tsunade-Bashing**

 **Origin-When you lay in bed trying to decide whether to wake up or sleep again, despite being technically awake, sometimes you think of your day. I think of Naruto's day in hundreds of different AU's and Cannonverses.**

 **Background-When the Kyuubi was being sealed, Michiko's family was already almost gone. All that was left was her eldest son and youngest daughter, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that she decided to use the Reaper Death seal to give Minato the Kyuubi's Yin chakra, while also transferring her Uzumaki genes to the man to keep him alive.**

 **Disclaimer-I only own the plotline, and the original Oreshizoku members.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to my comfy but cool blanket that I constantly have wrapped around me despite the heat.**

"Michiko, stop this! You have a family as well, you can't just give that up!"

Minato tried to reason with the brunette currently using blood style to hold her friend down as she went through the hand signs that would seal her fate, literally.

"Minato, I have lost a lot. It gives me no pleasure to do this, to leave Ihara and Sashiko to grow up without me or Iraku…But your child needs that as well Minato. I promised Kushina I wouldn't let you do anything stupid…so I won't."

The brunette smiled fondly at her longtime friend, honey glaze eyes filled with both warmth and sadness as her gaze then turned toward the two children she had mentioned, both guarded under a barrier that Kushina had set up before she had died via the Kyuubi that was now being held under Michiko's blood style, the hate filled chakra fueling the dark black chakra spewing from Michiko's feet.

"I will seal the Kyuubi inside of you Minato…half of it anyways. The other half I will seal inside of Naruto, since I really have no choice in the matter…"

Michiko's eyes darkened as she looked back toward the blonde Yondaime, finishing her hand seals. She landed on a single one, her palm pulling back as Minato was lifted by the blood chakra that kept him from moving.

"M-Michiko, please…let me do the seal!"

Michi's eyes dimmed and she thrusted her hand forward, channeling rivers of chakra into the blonde male in front of her as he screamed outward.

"I'm sorry Mina-Kun…But I can't do that. At least I know you'd be able to give the children what they need…I already failed my own. Zero Seals…Transfer!"

Taking in a deep breath, Michiko gently laid Minato on the ground, grunting herself as she felt the long hand of the Shinigami grip at her soul. Panting as she nearly collapsed from the pain, her eyes turned upward to look at the baby crying on the altar before the Kyuubi.

The tailed beast in question was watching the human before him with thinly veiled hatred, and catching sight of Naruto he roared.

" **Y-You are going to seal the rest of me inside that child?!"**

Michiko stood on shaky legs, and nodded at the Biju.

"P-Please forgive me for this…but If I do not seal you away it will only harm them more…It is nothing personal, Kyuubi…"

The woman smiled sadly, shocking the Biju as she flashed through hand signs one last time.

"Seal!"

I~~~~I

The sight that greeted Sarutobi when he arrived was not a pretty one. First, he noted the fact that there was a crying Ichihara holding his three month old sister in his arms as he leaned over the fallen body of his mother. Next there was the distinct sound of crying, two tuffs of blonde hair spotted along with a single head of fiery red locks.

"Lord Hokage!"

A voice shouted, and in an instant a dark haired man was kneeling beside the downed man, another Ninja launching toward the red head, while the last raven dashed to the child.

The one at the female red head met Hiruzen's eyes, shaking his head in despair.

The one beside the Yondaime, and also Ichihara, called out.

"He's breathing, someone get a medic!"

Sarutobi watched the medics rush toward the Yondaime, while he went toward the young Genin shakily clutching his baby sister, tears in his vibrant blue orbs. "Ichihara-Kun…"

Sarutobi spoke sadly, and he quickly welcomed the young raven into a tight hug as the boy started to cry more.

From behind the former Kage, Iwashi, the raven after the other tuff of blonde hair, shouted.

"It's Minato's child, Lord Third! She's alive!"

Hiruzen turned sharply, eyes wide as Iwashi rushed over with the newborn in his arms, the other members of the Guard Platoon rushing over to them as well.

"What happened…?"

Hiruzen whispered in wonder as he stared at the guards that agreed to have their leader, Raidou, watch the child while the others escorted the medics and their Hokage to the hospital.

The old former Hokage slowly rose, taking Ichihara's shaking body with him as he clutched the boy close, mindful of the whimpering baby the boy held.

"I will take them to my office…You will watch them there while I get everything settled."

Raidou nodded, and both parties disappeared in a swift Shuinshin.

I~~~~I

Later that night, the dark haired Raidou could be found watching over a small blue eyed raven boy that had settled his sleeping sister next to the sleeping Naruto, his eyes slightly dulled with the horrors of the world as he whispered down at the two.

"I promise to protect you both…on my mother's name, I swear I will."

The man couldn't help but smile at the boy's proclamation, even though it vanished when the door to the office opened and three elders walked into the room. Raidou moved himself in front of the children, blocking them from sight as his eyes narrowed behind his Anbu mask. He didn't want to death with the Hokage's Advisors, but he might have to considering Sarutobi had yet to return.

"Anbu-San, what is going on? We heard that the Kyuubi was defeated, but Hiruzen will not say anything else."

Raidou hid his annoyance with Homura, replying in a clipped no-nonsense tone that set Ichihara on edge.

"Lord Third is aiding with the recovery operation…I can't say anything else without his permission."

The advisors narrowed their gazes on him, Shimura Danzo glancing behind the Hokage's guard. "Why is the son of Oreshizoku-San here?"

Raidou inwardly cursed the old timers, shifting to once again block a warry Ihara from view.

"I cannot disclose that without Lord Third or Lord Fourth's permission."

The advisors all showed distaste at his unwillingness to give them what they wanted, however they didn't have to wait too long before the door opened again, drawing their attention from the child and his guard.

Standing in the door way was Jiraya of the Sannin along with Uchiha Fugaku, both men ignoring the Advisors in favor of looking toward the children hidden behind Raidou.

"Sarutobi-Sensei informed us of what happened…"

Jiraya started toward the children, Ihara rushing out from behind Raidou as he launched himself at the Sannin, hugging his legs while the man crouched to hug him back. "Hey kiddo…"

Fugaku paused before moving past the man, turning his attention to the crib holding two babies. His eyes widened a fraction upon seeing them, Raidou twisting to watch while also keeping the elders from seeing anything.

"S-Sashiko…"

The Uchiha Clad Head whispered gently, his teeth grinding together.

"So Iraku is dead then?"

Raidou nodded at the man, withholding a flinch when he noticed Ihara tense in his grandfather figure's arms. The boy was still sore about the subject, as was expected from a child who had his father and siblings die in front of him, and later found his mother added to that tally as well. It worried each of them when he pulled from Jiraya to return to his sibling's side, cupping his little sister's hand in his own while brushing his other hand over Naruto's forehead as she slept.

"T-Tou-San was attacked by this black…thing. It killed M-Milo and M-Mika…I don't r-remember much after that besides running with S-Sashiko to find Kaa-Chan…"

The boy steeled his gaze, worrying his grandfather figure while Fugaku sighed deeply, reaching to gently ruffle the boy's hair. It looked a little awkward, since Fugaku rarely even did that with his own child, let alone the child of the most irritable Uchiha he had ever met. "I'll stay with them. Jiraya-Sama could you notify my wife?"

Jiraya nodded, straightening to his full height as he smiled down at Ichihara, the boy setting his blue eyes on the Sannin.

"Y-You need to get Tsuna-San…S-She needs to k-know what happened to Kaa-Chan and T-Tou-San."

The boy stumbled slightly over his words, especially as he thought of his father, but he still managed to finish and get the point across to a saddened Jiraya.

"I will Ihara-Kun…I will."

I~~~~I

Sarutobi sighed into his hands as a light smile broke over his lips, his eyes looking down at the blue-eyed baby in his arms. Gently he reached to stroke the whisker-marked cheeks of the baby, earning himself a giggle from the playful child.

"She's cute, huh Saru-Jiji?"

Sarutobi glanced backward at the boy who had spoken up, and he felt his eyes soften even more at the lightly smiling raven who held a slumbering 3 month old in his own arms, the little cyan haired girl clinging to his black yukata. The sight was a reminder of just how little the two had left besides each other, but also a reminder that Ichihara was more brotherly then anyone gave him credit for.

"Yes, Naru-Chan is quite the beauty already. Just like Sashi-Chan."

Ihara nodded as he pulled his sister closer to his chest, mindful of her needs as he settled himself on the chair behind him. His blue eyes drifted over the small single bed hospital room they occupied, landing on the golden haired man slumbering on a hospital bed to his left.

"Saru-Jiji…When is Tsuna-San going to get here? I-I really don't know how I can handle this without Minato-Oji…"

Ichihara's voice slipped into a darker whisper the further along the sentence he got, his eyes watering as he stared at one of the last few caretakers he had left.

Barely a week had passed since the Kyuubi Attack, and through most of it Ichihara had been managing taking care of not only his semi-adopted sister Naruko, but his own sister as well. He had moved all their belongings to the Namikaze Residence, and he had also been present for the burial of his family and Kushina.

The boy's eyes no longer held their fading childish happiness, but instead held a hidden form of sadness and knowledge that no teenager needed to bear, ninja or not.

Hiruzen knew this, and it was the main reason he took as much time as was needed to help the boy while Jiraya worked with Fugaku to find out where Tsunade was at the moment.

"Soon Ichihara…Jiraya will get her back, you know that."

Ichihara only nodded, brushing his hand over his sister's cheek as he stared down at her. Sashiko's eyes flitted open, her blue orbs shining as she reached her hands upward to grasp her brother's fingers.

Ichihara offered the girl a smile, allowing her to draw his hand down to suck on. "I think someone's a little hungry."

Sarutobi chuckled, reaching over to hand Ichihara one of the bottles of formula, taking Naru's in order to feed her as she stared at him with her azure orbs.

The two shinobi both paused as they held their bottles however, several chakra signatures approaching the room. Ichihara's blue eyes darkened and he reached to his thigh, ready to protect his sisters in case it was another foolish villager.

"Ihara-Kun, stand down."

Ichihara's shoulders became less tense at the order, and his fingers slipped away from the hilt of his kunai as the door to the private hospital room opened.

His midnight blue eyes widened in shock when he took note of the five individuals that had entered, three fair headed, and two dark haired.

"T-Tsuna-San!"

Ichihara spoke up, shifting as he looked at his godmother.

The blonde haired woman hadn't changed, her chest as full as ever, her eyes the same deep honey glaze that reminded Ichihara of his mother. The rhombus was still in place on Tsunade's forehead, and she still wore her ridiculous gambling coat.

It took only a moment for Tsunade to notice Ichihara, as well as the bundle in his arms. Her eyes softened, and she sighed. Her strides were long, and she reached the boy within seconds. "I'm so sorry Ihara…"

The blonde haired woman sat down beside the boy, tugging him roughly and yet carefully into her side as he choked on his own words.

From the doorway, Jiraya sighed heavily. His eyes ghosted toward Sarutobi, whom looked toward the teenager at his side.

"Kakashi."

The silvernette's gaze was turned sharply from his friend, toward Sarutobi and the baby in his arms.

Kakashi's lone gray eye widened, before he started toward the child, Jiraya's attention turned toward the Hatake as he reached Sarutobi, outstretching his arms in a demand to hold the blonde haired child.

Sarutobi smiled and handed Naru to Kakashi, watching as the boy cradled her close to his chest, releasing a deep sigh.

"T-Thank you…"

Jiraya smirked slightly, leaning back against the open door, another teenager glancing toward him as her raven hair flitted over her face. The girl nearly yelped when Tsunade's booming voice called to her. "Shizune, come here."

Shizune rushed toward her master, stopping only when she reached the edge of the chair Ichihara and Tsunade sat in. Tsunade was holding a silently weeping Ichihara close with her left arm, her right carefully holding onto a giggling cyannette.

The Senju woman had a sad smile on her face as she stroked the little girl's cheek, watching her blue eyes light up as she reached to take hold of her finger. "Meet Sashiko and Ichihara, my godchildren…And I suppose your siblings now."

Shizune's cheeks flushed slightly, before she reached and took hold of Sashiko's hand, blinking in shock as the baby giggled again and grasped it with all her might. Ichihara spoke up to Shizune soon after.

"H-Hi…"

Jiraya turned his head to smirk at the last member of the group, a somewhat surprised Fugaku whose scowl was lessened at the sight of his clansmen finally being relieved of his stress.

"Having second thoughts Fugaku?"

The Uchiha Head gave the Sannin a sideways glare, sighing heavily.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Jiraya-Sama."

The Gama Sennin smirked knowingly as he gazed at the gathering family, Kakashi having gone closer to introduce Naruko to Shizune and Tsunade, his arms wrapped protectively around the newborn.

"Sure you don't."

I~~~~I

Only Ichihara, Kakashi, Sarutobi, and Tsunade were present for Minato waking up, Shizune and Jiraya handling the babies with Fugaku and his wife Mikoto's help.

When Minato's eyes finally did open, the bright blue gazing around the room, the first thing he did was look toward Ichihara.

The boy stiffened when tears left Minato's eyes, and the man's hand shot around Ichihara's back and the blonde tugged the boy into his side, breathed out heavily into the shocked child's hair.

"She wanted you to have someone still…she didn't want to leave you alone in this."

The others looked away from the sight, feeling as though they were intruding on a private moment as they all looked away from the Yondaime and the shaking child in his arms.

I~~~~I

It only took two months for Minato to get back on his feet and take over as the den mother for his growing family, drafting Kakashi and his Guards for help while Tsunade took the hat with a single punch to Minato's face being the only casualty to result from the matter.

The woman truly couldn't complain however, as she had seen the way that Sarutobi's own son was turning out and didn't want Minato to become so distant from his children.

It didn't matter that Sashiko and Ichihara weren't his by name or blood, all that mattered was the fact that he considered them his own and treated them as such.

The months passed quickly, with Ichihara taking up classes with Fugaku and Itachi on politics while the two younger boys trained as hard as they could.

And while they trained Sashiko, Naruko, and Itachi's little brother Sasuke were all paired together by Mikoto and Minato.

Soon enough, the children were already a year old, and then they turned two, and by the time they were three, all of them had already learned the wonders of talking, walking, and the puppy dog eyes as well as staying together.

They also learned about bullies and street fighting soon after, which lead to many friendships brought up by savior complexes and the love of odd hair colors.

And when they were targeted at five by other villages for their abilities, they each protected their friends with their own bloodlines.

 **There's that opening to this Universe, another TLJ difference-verse (Yup, calling them that now.) If I expand on this it'll cover more Minato/Naruko father/daughter fluff and the rooting siblings Sasuke and Sashiko in the background, since Naruko is officially their leader. There will also be more Itachi and Ichihara with Shisui as their leader (they did not choose that!) dealing with Minato's righteous Yellow fury.**


	18. XVIII- Broken Hero

**Universe- Broken Heroes**

 **Main Characters- FemNaruto, Sasuke**

 **Side Characters- Kakashi, Obito, Sakura**

 **Pairings- Slight SasuNaru and KakaNaru**

 **Warnings- Mind Break, Personality Disorders, Amnesia, Revenge, Mentions of Abuse, Fem Naru**

 **Origin- Just a piece that I typed up last year on October 17** **th** **.**

 **Background- Sasuke wasn't supposed to save her, he wasn't supposed to be her hero. Things never turn out how they are supposed to, however, and now Sasuke finds himself trying to take care of his former rival who is less than herself.**

 **Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto, just this plotline.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to Senju Akihane Naru finally being published. Next is TCJ!**

 _The bustling of the hospital did little to calm the nerves a Raven haired boy expelled. He was flanked by two Anbu and a blonde heavily busted woman wearing a green coat and a silver kimono. "Sasuke."_

 _Sasuke didn't hear Tsunade, his breathing irregular still as he tried to process what he had just been told. He ground his teeth as he shook. A grunt of aggravation was hear before two slim pale hands pressed into his shoulders as they forced him into the wall. He didn't even wince as he made a dent in the white plaster, Tsunade glaring into his eyes._

" _Sasuke!"_

 _Sasuke's iris orbs looked up, meeting her brown eyes. "What."_

 _His voice was harsh, his fists clenching as his killer intent spiked. His mouth tried to work out words, questions over the reality laid out before him. "What do you…Why couldn't you…"_

 _He shook his head and closed his eyes, before opening them sharply, his Mangekyo Sharingan spinning dangerously. His heart halted in its frantic beats as he recovered himself. His emotions were raging, growing into a more calculated anger over the situation. "What did you expect, huh? She mine as well be dead…She'd never want to live if she was like_ that _!"_

 _Tsunade held her glare on him, even as her Anbu drew their blades. The Godaime would not be intimidated by the brat simply because he didn't want to deal with the consequences of his failures. Her words expressed as much._

" _She wouldn't want you to whine like a brat about it either, so grow up and kill that bastard Tobi or Madara or whoever the hell he is."_

 _Sasuke moved his hand to her wrist, and shoved her away. His sharp bangs fell down over his eyes as he breathed heavily. Tsunade could see the wheels turning, could feel the Uchiha's chakra settle slightly as he calmed down. She stood, dusting herself off as he helped himself up from the undignified position against the wall. His lips moved, and once again the female Hokage was greeted with the biting tone of revenge in the boy's voice._

" _I plan on it. With or without your permission,_ Hokage-Sama _."_

 _The Uchiha hissed out the words, trying to fill himself with anger while also sorting through who he directed it at so he wouldn't break down. His hands clenched into fists as he failed to meet the woman's eyes._

 _Tsunade merely turned and stalked away from Sasuke._

 _His Sharingan faded away, and he turned and slammed his fist into the wall. His voice dropped a tone while he let out a shuddering breath. His eyes shut tightly, pushing salty tears into the corners of his eyes as he whispered brokenly to himself. "Stupid Dobe…You were supposed to put my pieces together…not the other way around."_

I~~~~I

Naruko huffed, ducking under a swipe to her neck dealt by Tobi, or Madara as he preferred. She flew through hand signs, glaring darkly at the raven. He merely countered by activating his Mangekyo Sharingan. "Water Style, Water Dragon Jutsu!" A dragon sprang forth from the stream nearby, Madara aiming his eye at it. She took her chance and prepared her Rasengan, before dashing. "Kami damned Bastard!"

He quickly dodged, only to fly across the field as her water jutsu made contact. Her lips twitched but she hid her small victory dance quickly. She didn't need to be distracted, not when her teammates' lives were on the line. She took a quick survey of the area, pausing on Gaara's fight with Sasuke, before focusing on the giant fireball flying toward her. Scowling she flipped out of the way, her muscles stretching slightly. She could only wonder how the others were feeling.

Kakashi was probably okay, since he didn't have to use his Sharingan against Suigetsu, but he was more than likely running out of weapons. Tenzo was slightly exhausted over having to continuously dodge Jugo's animalistic attacks, Sakura and Sai were attacking Zetsu and the red haired medic; Karin Naruto's mind supplied. Gaara was okay for the most part, his sand fighting against Sasuke's lightning quite well overall.

Biting her thumb, Naruko flashed through another set of hand signs, her clones pulling her from the line of fire. She slammed her hand onto the ground, not keeping her eyes off of Madara. "Summoning Jutsu!"

A black fox with grey ears and six white-tipped tails appeared in front of her. "Kuko, attack X!"

The Fox was ready to spring into battle at a moment's notice, and as a result, didn't falter under the sudden summoning or order. He dashed toward Madara, channeling chakra into his tails. Naru flashed through more hand signs at an even faster pace. Madara growled and tried to attack Kuko.

Naru was ready for his diversion of attention though, several rocks popping from behind Madara. They fired shuriken at his back, using the shadow shuriken jutsu to multiply them. Madara dodged the kunai, Kuko landing beside Naru. The two gathered chakra, Kuko firing his seconds before her. "Fire Style, Scorching Rain!", "Wind Style, Wind Bullet!"

The techniques collided, creating a giant array of tiny fire needles. They were too fast to dodge, dust flying upward as they hit their target.

Naru readied a Kunai while Kuko started to channel chakra again.

I~~~~I

Sasuke glared at Gaara in annoyance, glancing behind the Former Jinchuuriki to try and catch a glimpse of Naruko fighting against Madara. He saw the giant rain of fire needles, before dust and sand obscured his view. He rolled swiftly to dodge the rain of sand that would have crushed his leg, panting softly. His hand clutched his blade, lightning chakra surging through the metal.

Gaara glared at him, stepping forward as his sand circle him. "Your fight is with me Sasuke Uchiha. I won't allow you to interfere with Naru's affairs."

Sasuke felt like growling at the familiar tone that Gaara took when talking about his Dobe. He needed to talk to the Idiot Blonde, though now he supposed she was a red-head. Why she had dyed her hair was news to him, but staring at the current red head in front of him gave him somewhat of an idea. The idea that Naruko had changed herself for another man only made him even more pissed off however.

"I need to talk to her, dammit!"

Gaara only brought his sand crashing down on Sasuke again, pushing him back before he could advance. "She tried to talk to you, and you drove a Chidori into her chest."

Sasuke had the decency to flinch.

I~~~~I

Kakashi dodged a water jutsu thrown at him by the water-boy. To be honest he was more annoyed with his opponent than challenged. He had his Sharingan uncovered, but only because of the kid's ability to change into water. It was annoying. Finishing the most well-known hand signs he had in his arsenal, he waited until the chirping filled the air before slamming the jutsu into the boy's chest. The kid cried out, glaring at him as his body turned to water and he was electrified.

"B-Bastard."

Kakashi removed his hand and let the boy fall to the ground unconscious, turning to find who needed help. The boy was still alive, but Kakashi doubted that he would be a threat now so he left him.

Spotting Tenzo looking worse for wear over dodging and trying to ensnare his opponent in a wooden cage, Kakashi dashed over. Sakura and Sai had taken out Karin and white Zetsu, and were now stuck fighting against Black Zetsu. Gaara was handling Sasuke just fine, which was to be expected, and Naru's battlefield was too covered in dust to really tell anything. He sent a small prayer to Kami or even her father that she was okay, before tackling Tenzo out of the way of being decapitated.

I~~~~I

Sai shouted out as he finished drawing on his scroll, Sakura flagging behind the two lions that had appeared. "Man Beast Scroll!"

They charged at Black Zetsu, whom flipped and dodged, before firing punches at the two ink-lions. He was careful to avoid attacking Sakura though, as that was how White Zetsu had ended up buried in the mud. He grunted in annoyance, glaring to the side at his fallen half.

" **Damn useless fool."**

His eyes widened, however, as the pink haired menace appeared behind him, slamming her fist into his back. "Sai!"

Black Zetsu winced inwardly as he readied for the combo that was sure to come. "Man beast scroll!"

I~~~~I

Tenzo panted, sitting up as he thanked Kakashi. "Thanks Senpai…damn this guy is as hard to deal with as a Jinchuuriki, without the weakness to wood-style."

Kakashi nodded, sighing. "Apparently. Let's try another-"

Kakashi was cut off by a blast nearly clearing them from the field. They quickly funneled chakra into their feet, their opponent flying into a tree as he was unprepared. Off to the side, Gaara, Sasuke, Sakura and Sai all shielded their eyes as the dust cleared.

Turning, Kakashi felt his eyes widen at the sight. The area were Naruko had been fighting Madara was indented about ten feet, and in the middle Naruko was fighting Madara in a battle of Taijutsu in Sage mode. Kakashi guessed that the sudden release of power had to deal with the change in tactics.

I~~~~I

Naru swiped low at Madara, inwardly smirking in satisfaction as he was forced backwards. He sprawled, before getting back to his feet. His mask was slightly broken, part of his Sharingan revealed.

He spoke softly, an edge of alertness in his deep voice. "Sage Mode."

Naru dashed again, holding her fingers into the ram seal as she ran. Four clones appeared behind her and began to form the rasenshuriken. She engaged Madara in hand to hand again, pushing her muscles to the point where they began to ache.

"It's pointless Naruko."

The Uzumaki ignored his jab and ducked under a swipe to her face, countering his palm strike to her stomach with a palm strike to his side. They hopped backwards before either hit.

"Nothing is pointless so long as it has purpose."

Naru replied to him finally, landing beside her clones. They tossed her Jutsu at Madara, who was forced to activate his Sharingan yet again. She smirked as he reappeared behind her, thinking he had her. "You won't believe that after I seal the Kyuubi!"

The Jinchuuriki flicked the kunai in her hands, the Flying Thunder God kunai, and appeared above him. "Shut the hell up already!"

Naruko's shout rang through the clearing as she slammed a giant rasengan onto his surprised head. Dust flew up once more as she was sent backwards. She panted as her Sage mode faded away while she looked around the battle field. "I won't allow him to be taken."

Naru felt him a tad too late though, her eyes widening as she coughed blood.

I~~~~I

Sasuke was finally able to remove his arm from his face, looking over at Naru's battle with worry.

His worry was well placed, as Naruko was standing with Madara in front of her, his mask nothing but small pieces attached to his head. The left side of his body was slightly deformed, his eye and limbs the only identifiable things next to his hair and ear.

"You were wrong."

He read the man's lips before he heard him, his blood running cold as Madara's eyes spun. Naru tried to look away, only to be forced onto the ground, Madara's other hand gripping her neck and chin.

"NO!"

I~~~~I

Kakashi's shock faded fast, and he scrabbled upwards, dashing toward Naruko. Her scream sounded, and a second later he appeared behind Madara, kicking him away from her.

Naru shook however, her eyes wide as fear started to extrude from her. He crouched by her, lifting her up into his arms bridal style as Tenzo appeared beside him.

A Wood-style technique was launched at the man, whose face he hadn't paid any real attention too. His attention was focused on Naru, who was shaking in his arms, staring at him in shock. Her eyes began to close as she clutched his shirt. "S-Sens-sei…"

Sasuke was grabbing Tobi by his collar moments later, his Sharingan spinning dangerously as blood leaked down like tears. "Y-You bastard! What did you do to her?!"

Madara only glared at Sasuke, and hit him away.

Sasuke grunted and growled, quickly getting up into a squatting position, his blade held in a reverse grip.

"I got rid of our problem. I got rid of your distraction."

Sasuke flinched, his grip tightening enough to bruise his palms. "Y-You…"

Madara looked over to Kakashi and Tenzo, the ladder of which was staring at him in shock. "S-Senpai…"

I~~~~I

Obito turned his attention solely on Kakashi, and felt a cruel smile take residence on his lips. He was breaking, seeing his favorite (though Madara doubted Kakashi would voice the fact) student in such a sorry state. She was crying in her Genjutsu-induced coma, being broken from the inside. Burning a hole into her stomach was a seal that kept the Kyuubi from interfering with his mind games.

Kakashi looked up from his student, looking over in his direction. The look of utter shock on his face was more than enough to satisfy Obito at that moment.

"Hello, Kakashi-Bastard."

At the playful tone, and the jab that Obit had always used as kids, Kakashi flinched. His heart beat franticly, his blood heating another degree. Information flew through his head in mere seconds, going over every encounter he had had with the masked man named Tobi. It all lead to now, with the masked man revealed to be Obito, his lost teammate.

"O-Obito…"

The Hatake's supposed dead teammate was the apparent Madara Uchiha, the one who had caused havoc and put his, no _their_ Sensei's child into the horrible painful world that was Tsukuyomi.

"Y-You…"

Kakashi's eyes darkened as his Sharingan began to spin dangerously. His voice rose in volume as he accused Obito. "You caused this!?"

Obito walked forward, gripping the wood that Tenzo had created as he answered with a slow roll of his eyes. "Yes, for a supposed genius you are slow. You are also very bad at keeping your teammates from getting hurt. You even killed Rin."

Kakashi shook, his eye bleeding as his own Mangekyo formed. "She…She moved in front of my hand."

Obito scoffed, and looked to Sasuke. "It's your own fault. Such weakness…"

Sasuke growled at the man. "Naruko wasn't a part of this!"

Obito sighed, and raised his hands, flying through hand signs. "You remind me of Kakashi."

The traitor let loose a giant fireball, Sasuke holding out his hand to activate the Chidori.

Sasuke dashed, jumping over the fireball. He landed in front of Obito, rearing his arm back to slam it into Obito's chest. The elder Uchiha only gripped Sasuke's wrist, tugging him forward to slam his own fist into the boy's face. Sasuke grunted, and flew back, arms wide as he hit the dissipating ball of fire while Obito 'tsked' at him. "You even killed your teammate...with the same jutsu none the less."

Sasuke rolled out of the flames, panting as his ears rang. His head pounded, his vision blurring as his chakra coils tightened. He remembered what Gaara had told him earlier, about how Naru had come back from trying to get him with a hole in her chest, caused by his Chidori.

"Her heart stopped…"

His voice cracked slightly as he realized that Naru had actually _died_ , and yet she still came after him. She still tried desperately to bring him home. He suddenly looked up, face to face with Obito as the ladder's Mangekyo spun slowly.

"Tsukuyomi."

For a moment Sasuke's eyes widened, before he was swallowed into the hellish world.

A moment later Obito was sent across the crater by a punch from a pink haired medic.

"Don't mess with my Teammates!"

Sakura shouted at the man before she turned sharply to Sasuke, Sai and Tenzo moving to apprehend Obito.

Kakashi replaced his headband over his Sharingan, panting softly as he felt his chakra coils tense. He would be hurting after this. However, glancing down to his Red Headed student, he forced himself to get up with her in his arms and move her to Sakura. The bubblegum haired girl was already working on healing Sasuke's burns. She glanced up at Kakashi when she finished, her shiny green orbs landing on the bundle in his arms.

"N-Naruko?"

Kakashi paused, before gently setting his student down beside Sasuke and Sakura. "She's okay for the most part…but the Kyuubi's chakra is sealed, and she's stuck in Tsukuyomi. I don't…I don't even want to know what she's experiencing."

Sakura nodded mutely, looking at both her teammates. With a worn look in her green eyes, the Kunoichi spoke softly.

"They're both idiots…"

I~~~~I

 **And cut. I had the rest written out but it was on paper and I can't seem to find the piece so for now I'll end it here. This story is actually fairly old. As stated above I wrote it last October, and I had planned to finish it off right after I put SAN up but I forgot about it. Here it is now. Thanks for reading!**


	19. XIX- Ravens and Foxes

**Hello, again Readers! Chapter II is up, and ready to read.**

 **Characters, Pairings, and Warnings- FemNaru, Itachi. Slight brother sister ItaNaru. Mild themes involving killing and darker thinking**

 **Background- Naruko has always been distant from people, showing them her happy façade instead of her darker self. When she meets Itachi however, she can't help but open up to the teenager, and in return, he does the same.**

 **Disclaimer-I do not own Naruto, just this story…sadly**

 **Chapter Dedicated to the awesome writers out there who will always make the world of Fanfiction bright.**

Blonde hair fell over blue eyes and grunts flew from pale lips. Outstretched hands slammed into a log, the force scratching sun-kissed skin whilst beads of sweat fell from a leg as it arched and slammed into the log's side. "Kami…Dammit!"

Naruko let out her frustration on the training stump in front of her, agitation flowing through her veins. Her black shorts fell back over her scratched legs as she slammed another punch into the log, splinters flying out. She hissed as she felt pain in her hand, but ignored it and the blood in favor of continuing with her strikes. Her black shirt held the Uzimaki swirl, the edge riding up again as she kneed the log. "I swear…I did nothing…And still…"

She spoke between strikes, growing more agitated as she continued. Her eyes watered and she sent a chunk of wood flying off with a particular punch. "Still they attack me with their spiteful remarks and alienation…"

The blonde raised her glossy blue eyes to stare at her hands as she shakily brought them in front of her face. She bit back a sarcastic laugh as the blood rolled down them and instead turned and slumped against the remains of her training log. She leaned back and looked at the sky, two tears streaking down her cheeks. She brought her knee up to her face and rested her hands on it, picking out the splinters as she forced the rest of her tears back, wiping the two away. She didn't notice the boy watching from the trees, his fist clenched in anger.

Itachi was hard to anger; he was a pacifist after all. However, as his iris orbs watched the little blonde haired girl suck her emotions into herself and don the expressionless mask he himself wore, he couldn't help but be angry at the people who had placed her in that situation. The civilian villagers had gone and hurt his Naru again, and he was more than annoyed this time.

He dropped forced his anger back for the moment, feeling a little like a hypocrite as he dropped down and walked toward Naru.

The girl looked up, her glassy blue eyes dampening again as she took him in. He sighed and crouched, picking up her right hand. She had cleaned her left from the splinters, but she was shaking too much to clean the other one. He gently rubbed her wrist and proceeded to clean out her hand, biting back the bile in his throat and the dangerous images of what he would do to the villagers that had hurt his little sister figure so badly. "There…"

Thankfully Itachi's voice was soft as he kissed Naruko's fingers, earning himself a soft blush from the nearly broken girl. Her eyes watered and she reached forward with her other hand, grabbing his shoulder as his hand encased her smaller one. "I-Itachi…"

He nodded and she pulled herself against him, a sob exiting her lips. He pulled her into his lap and maneuvered them so he was resting his back against the broken log. "Shh, Naru it's okay…"

The girl seemed to fall apart in his grasp, her body just giving up as she cried into his chest.

It all pissed him off far too much.

I~~~~I

They had met back before Itachi had ever had the notion of killing his family. It was before he was promoted to an ANBU captain and still under Inu's command. As it was he hadn't expected to be trusted so much by the Sandaime Hokage, but he was.

On October 10th of his first year in ANBU Itachi was assigned to watch over the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, one Uzumaki Naruko.

The job was simple because the child already knew what to do and spent her entire night on the Hokage Mountain, sitting quietly on the head of the Yondaime.

The girl was small, tinier than any other child Itachi had seen. She was a rather frail thing due to her upbringing, her cheeks hollowed slightly from the light starvation she went through.

Despite that her eyes were still a vibrant blue, brighter than anything that Itachi had witnessed.

He was supposed to stick to the shadows, to tail her quietly and make sure she remained safe.

It wasn't his fault that the girl was a sensor and had noticed him enough to stare in his direction, her eyes seemingly peering into his soul.

The Sandaime was upset when he learned about Itachi breaking protocol and sitting with the Jinchuuriki on her birthday, but he made no move to stop Itachi from doing it in the years that followed.

I~~~~I

Naruko first remembered connecting the dots between Itachi and her Karasu guard when she was seven. She had been sitting on her swing at the academy when the boy had come to pick up his little brother Sasuke.

Itachi had looked up to her, and when his eyes met hers Naruko recalled the crow masked ANBU officer that had sat with her for two years on her birthday and had even been with her on a few other dates besides October 10th.

The Uchiha seemed surprised when she smiled at him and motioned her lips were sealed.

The next moment she launched herself over the Academy walls and started on her way to the training grounds. She thought about the similarities, as well as the peaceful gaze that had enthralled her the very first time she had met it.

Her smile didn't vanish even as it faced the glares of villagers and the whispers of older ladies.

For once she felt as though nothing could ruin her mood, as though the hatred meant nothing in the presence of her very first friend.

I~~~~I

Sarutobi Hiruzen noticed the ever so slight change in his favorite blonde as the years progressed from her sixth birthday.

More reports from Itachi detailed interactions with the girl, including help throughout training and even notes on the Jinchuuriki's perception.

It seemed that Naruko had figured out Karasu's identity on her own and had even managed to sneak into ANBU headquarters to gift some cookies to the male.

The entire situation put Sarutobi's old heart at ease with Naru's horrible circumstances. At the very least the blonde wouldn't be alone.

Now all he had to do was fix the Uchiha's power hungry conquest to take over Konoha.

I~~~~I

Itachi couldn't help himself. He had left Sasuke on the floor with their dead parents, had fled form the Uchiha compound with a tear spilling down his cheek.

And now he stood outside of Naruko's window. The girl was awake and studying several scrolls he had given her when he landed on her balcony.

Almost immediately the young blonde had rushed over and opened her glass door for him, her blue eyes taking him in, all of the blood caked over his uniform as well as his saddened gaze, before she reached and dragged him inside.

He was unable to leave as she tugged him down onto her small bed and her eyes ordered him to sit still. She left the room, only to come back seconds later with a wet towel, a bin of water, and her first aid kit.

The blonde spent the next hour carefully cleaning him of the blood even as he quietly watched.

He couldn't understand how Naruko could believe in him so much despite all he had done to her.

The blonde stopped and looked up at him, her hand cupping his cheek where the tear had rolled down earlier.

Itachi's head bowed so that his nose was in her hair, his arm coming around to pull her into his chest.

Naruko sighed and reached to card her fingers through his hair, the wet towel left forgotten on her beside.

She fell asleep in his grasp, and the next morning when she woke, Itachi was gone and his headband was left folded on her nightstand.

I~~~~I

Naruko continued to push herself through the academy, and by the time she took the graduation Exam the second time she passed with flying colors. There was a try at sabotaging her done my Mizuki, but Umino Iruka put a stop to that. When it came down to it Iruka offered her his headband as an apology for everything, earning his everlasting place as one of Naruko's most precious people.

Naru ended up the apprentice of Mitarashi Anko in order to train herself up as a true Kunoichi, and when the time came for Jiraya to return she left alongside her godfather to train.

No one ever found out about her meetings with Itachi, and so everything moved on up until Sasuke decided to kill his brother.

I~~~~I

"C-Couldn't let you kill him…Yah know…"

I~~~~I

 **Heh, I meant to make this happy but it ended up sad at the end, if you can guess. Well anyways this was just a tiny prompt. If someone wants to work on it be my guest. I like the way it ended with the freedom of interpretation. It really makes me happy to be finishing these finally.**


	20. XX- Code Jinchuuriki

**Universe-Code Jinchuuriki**

 **Main Characters-Naruko, Sasuke**

 **Side Characters-Konoha 12, Konoha 12 Senseis, Real-ish World, Ashura**

 **Pairings-ItaNaru**

 **Warnings-Graphic violence, maniac laughter, FemNaru, family screwage**

 **Origin-I was thinking about one of my OCs that I use in a Code Geass Fanfiction I am writing, and I suddenly wanted to put the poor Naruto characters in a similar universe.**

 **Background-Namikaze/Uzumaki (Naruko) Akihane is one of the selected Nobles to be in the running for Britannia's next ruler. Her father had died protecting the current King, leaving her Mother to raise her alongside her Father's adopted family, the Otsutsuki's. When Naruko was barely seven, her mother was killed in front of her, leaving her an orphan under the King's(Fire Daimyo's), control. When she confronted the King about her mother's demise, she was sent to Japan from her homeland Britannia as a political hostage. There she meets the Uchiha Brothers, forming bonds despite their differences. However, even with all the new-found happiness, Naruko knows that war is just on the horizon, ready to destroy what little she has left.**

 **Disclaimer-I don't own Naruto, it's characters or Code Geass' Plot.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to all those amazing Youtubers that do Abridged Series of my favorite anime.**

When Naruko was eight, she dreamed that her world would never change and she'd constantly be avoiding her cousin Neji while taking care of Hinata. She dreamed that there would always be times for her to laugh at her uncles Ashura and Indra while making sure her cousin Toneri wasn't flirting unnecessarily with Hinata. However, things never happen the way you expect, and those times were already long gone by the time they entered Naru's head.

I~~~~I

"Come back to light, child of night…Bring with you gold and silver."

Soft humming followed the soft words sung in a quaint but lush garden in the middle of a large stone palace.

"Walk along the shadowed path, up to the manor house…"

Blue eyes reflected the bright surface of the water a small blonde haired girl sat near.

"Bring with you gold and silver…"

The girl hummed once more, smiling gently as she tucked a silky strand of hair behind her ear.

"Gift your treasures to the Lady of the Manor, so you may win her favor."

The girl finished on a small pitched note, her eyes turning toward the entrance to her garden. Standing on the grass, one hand resting in another's hand, was a brunette male with long hair going past his shoulders, and a lavender haired girl with short cropped hair. Both the new children had white eyes, pale skin, and wore white traditional wear.

"Princess Akihane, Lady Kushina was looking for you…"

The eldest of the two newcomers spoke, his voice flowing like velvet. Naruko smiled at the familiar tone and stood slowly so as not to dirty her bright blue dress, walking toward the two. "Thank you, Neji. You don't have to use my title though…It's a little repetitive."

Neji offered a slight smirk to the blonde before him, leaning down since she was a good seven inches shorter.

"But Princess Akihane is fit for such a beautiful girl as yourself…Just Aki does you no good."

Akihane's cheeks tinted a light pink while she turned her head sharply to the side, facing the other female to Neji's right as she ignored the flirtatious words.

"Have a good day, Hinata."

Aki leaned forward, kissing her cousin's cheek before darting off past them both, just barely missing the teasing words of Neji.

"You forgot me…"

I~~~~I

Blonde hair bounced while an unblemished face tilted upward. Aki held her head with a respectable grace as she passed Lords and Ladies of the castle, occasionally being dragged into a polite conversation before being dismissed. It was a normal day, the sun hanging high and the clouds almost non-existent. Aki was sure nothing could ever go wrong on days like these, but her stomach still didn't settle.

"And how's my favorite Niece this afternoon, Akihane?"

The whimsical voice and happy tone quickly made Akihane dismiss her darker thoughts, her body twisting with grace in order to capture the sight of her black haired Uncle standing with a happy smirk near an archway she had just passed. "U-Uncle Ashura!" The Raven nodded and walked forward, his hand poking at the girl's forehead in a familiar gesture of affection.

"Uncle!"

The girl before the man shouted at him and pouted. Aki's hand swatted away Ashura's own while her azure eyes narrowed in a slight glare. "Why must you always do that?"

Ashura only shrugged at the question before walking forward, his black military uniform straightening out without any wrinkles. "It's better than Indra isn't it? He's always flicking you and poor Toneri in the head. I at least am gentler."

Aki did not let up on her glare and instead turned to walk beside the man toward her and her mother's quarters.

"Did my Mother send you after me?"

The blonde wondered aloud, keeping her voice firm and just on the edge of questioning and demanding.

"No, I just noticed it was around time for your 'date' with the King's son."

Aki's eyes darkened and her thin smile dropped to a slight frown, the formal glare turning distasteful. "I suppose that would be obvious."

Ashura watched the changing emotions on his Niece's face with rapt interest, pausing only when he noticed that they had reached their destination. Ashura gently poked the head of his adopted niece once more, leaning down to kiss the same spot afterward. Aki tensed slightly, her eyes widening as she realized the other reason why Ashura had decided to walk her to her 'play date'. "I have another mission. I must go assist Indra in his attempts over the European Area."

White teeth clenched together, and forgetting all her lessons and dropping her carefully constructed composure, Aki reached forward and hugged her Uncle, closing her eyes tightly in order to retain some form of decency. Ashura wasn't surprised in the least by the gesture of affection, his arms winding around the small frame clinging to him. "I'll come back, I always do."

Ashura whispered softly to the little girl, smiling when her bright blue orbs turned to look up at him. "I-I know."

Her voice only cracked under the emotional stress that any of Indra or Ashura's missions as military General's brought her before she stepped away and carefully reconstructed her mask. "I know you will return, Lord Ashura."

Ashura's eyes did widen at the title given, but he only nodded and bowed, drawing one knee under him as he kneeled before the girl, taking her hand into his own. "Of course, my Princess."

I~~~~I

In the end, Ashura would return from his journey and find that the castle seemed _empty_.

He would find out that Naruko's mother had died, had been murdered in front of her child and as punishment for demanding why such a crisis was allowed to happen, Ashura's beloved niece was sent to Japan to be used as a Diplomatic hostage.

He knew what the actual sentence was, however, because of who exactly was charged with taking over Japan.

Ashura had only returned early for one reason.

His reason for returning was because he had been given a different task.

He was supposed to aid The Ninth Biju, Namikaze Kurama, in crushing Japan.

I~~~~I

She hated it there. She hated being looked at with thinly veiled hatred, hated being seen as less than dirt.

Mostly, Akihane hated the way that she was expected to mourn and cry and whine over the death of her mother.

She had been taught to be stronger, and the only complaint she had _ever_ made in her mother's defense was over her security and their failure to protect her.

And it landed her here.

The Princess did not mind Japan in general, she enjoyed seeing new things and exploring, but she hated how she was treated and how she had to pretend.

Her name was cast aside, replaced by her father's chosen name for her when she was born.

"Dinner, Naruko-Hime."

Naruko's scowl returned full force, and she glanced back toward the raven-haired boy, the clan head's firstborn grandchild, and spoke in a sharp and clipped tone.

"Please don't call me by that name…"

She turned back to face the papers laid out before her, the boy blinking before he gently sighed.

"Are you going to join us?"

He was taller than her, much taller. He was four years older as well and very much so despaired over her situation.

A sudden padding of feet sounded, and a small pale hand tugged on the heir's sleeve, startling him as he glanced down at his little brother.

The boy was only a year older than Naruko, but he still held a childish glee that Naruko tended to envy.

"Itachi-Ni, Madara-Oji wanted to know if you wanted either fish or chicken!"

Itachi smiled at his little brother, and Naruko froze at the common display of affection, thinking back to her uncles, to her cousin, and the many other nobles she knew, as well as her older brother.

The thought of her brother caused her breath to catch in her throat, and she blinked back hot tears as she forced herself to calm down. Her hand shook and she reached forward to grasp the edge of the papers before her, neat scrawling text flowing over the surface.

The two brothers turned to her at the sharp intake of breath, Itachi frowning while Sasuke scowled at her.

"Come on Ni-San…"

The boy tugged at his brother's sleeve, but Itachi didn't move, instead gently prying Sasuke's hand from his dark blue Yukata. He gently shooed Sasuke, speaking softly to the confused boy. "Go tell Madara-San I'll take fish, okay Sasuke?"

The boy scowled more but nodded, and in a quick movement, Itachi smiled and poked his forehead.

Naru's fist twisted around her sheets of paper, and she breathed out deeply. Itachi stepped into her room as Sasuke rushed away, his feet padding over the wooden flooring as he neared Naru.

The blonde looked upward at him before she let go of the paper.

It fell down and rolled over to the side, Itachi shifting before he sat down beside her, neatly plucking the paper from the ground before slowly unraveling it.

He pushed it outward, smoothing it down completely. He paused at the scrawling script, brushing his hands over the familiar language.

"I knew you could understand Japanese, but I didn't think it was this far."

Naruko recognized the tactic, but at the moment she was too tired and emotionally overwhelmed to bother going around it.

"Yes. My Uncle's taught me…I know Japanese, English, Spanish, French, Greek, and a bit of Romanian and Latin…"

Itachi glanced up in surprise, though it was only shown in the slight arch of his eyebrow.

He then ducked his head to read over the letter, pausing half way through.

Naruko allowed him to, allowed the boy to read her thoughts, her fears, and the deep _sorrow_ she felt over her situation.

He sighed again when he finished, gently folding the letter, crisping the edges before settling it on her matt. His black eyes were warm when they caught her blue.

His pale fingers skimmed over her cheek, and the Namikaze remained still as he traced the lines under her eyes, the tear streaks hidden in the light of day.

His thumb brushed the wetness away from the corner of her eye, and he offered another genuine smile before he spoke.

"I understand…its hard not to think of her isn't it, to not see her face when you close your eyes? You want to sleep, to forget it, but you don't want to lose what you have left."

Naruko's breath hitched again, caught in her throat as Itachi pulled away.

"Don't think so much Naruko-Chan…Or at the very least, think about something different."

He then leaned forward and kissed her forehead, rising from his position to stand at his full height. His hand was extended toward her, and the blonde flushed at the gestures.

Regardless, she took his hand and followed him forward.

I~~~~I

He did everything he could to understand why to gain a sliver of information on why exactly things tended to go to hell around him.

The sounds of explosions rocketing over the war-torn landscape made his fists clench, his arm tightening around the slim body at his side.

Her blonde hair caressed his cheeks before she sighed deeply and stepped forward, her bright blue eyes taking in the area around them.

"I want to stop it Ita-Kun. I want to stop anyone from getting hurt again…"

Her voice was soft, and Itachi admired the strength that enabled her to stand straighter.

She turned to him, and a gentle smile left her lips, sad but sweet and homey, something that lifted everything from the young boy's shoulders.

He was older than her, by four years. His brother was a year older than her, and yet he remained closer to the blonde than Sasuke ever could.

"Naruko, we need to head back…"

He whispered gently, even as she glanced back at him, and sighed heavily.

"Okay."

They left the field, Itachi helping Naruko hop over a rock they crossed on their path so she didn't dirty her bright Kimono.

The girl landed soundlessly, walking alongside her friend of a year, ignoring the sound of artillery behind her.

Itachi had to admit, even he was unable to keep his head held high after seeing that carnage, and yet Naruko kept herself together.

He supposed it had something to do with the fact she had witnessed her own mother gunned down in front of her.

"Itachi, Naruko-Chan!"

Sasuke rushed over, his black spiky hair falling over his face as he rushed to the two. His lips twisted into a scowl as he landed with an impressive leap in front of them both, his hand shooting out to grasp Naruko's shoulder while his finger poked Itachi in the chest.

"What did Madara-Oji say about wandering off alone?! We need to stick to the compound Brother!"

Naruko breathed out slowly, and she gently removing Sasuke's hand, smiling at the boy softly.

Her eyes slipped closed, so she was unable to notice the pinkening of Sasuke's cheeks.

"Sorry Sasuke-Kun, Itachi-Kun didn't want me going alone and I wouldn't stay."

From behind Sasuke, a deep voice called out.

"Next time, please keep your curiosity under check."

Naruko turned her gaze to the man ahead of her, and she sighed heavily before bowing at the long black haired male with the same black eyes as his grandchildren.

"Gomen, Madara-Sama. I won't do it again."

Uchiha Madara nodded, his eyes grazing over her and Itachi for injuries before he turned and walked back into the compound.

A shaggy-haired teen grinned from his spot on the hill, and he waved at them.

"Come on, I have some tea prepared!"

The raven male also had deep black eyes and pale skin, as he was also part of the Uchiha Branch.

His name was Uchiha Shisui, and he was part of the Chinese Federation, his father serving as the leader of the Chinese Federation's guard.

Right now he was in Japan on a diplomatic mission, as he had been many times over the year where in which he got to know Naruko more as well.

The group of three started after the male, each of the brothers taking their spot at each side of Naruko, earning them a thankful smile.

Sasuke flushed more, ducking his head to the side to avoid Naruko's gaze, while Itachi only smiled gently back at her.

I~~~~I

Itachi stared down at the bloody body of his father, breathing in deeply. He dropped the sword he had used right by his father's body and turned sharply away. A shiver racked his body before he walked out of the room, soundlessly sliding the door shut.

No one was in the hall, which was to be expected.

Itachi closed his eyes before he willed them open and started walking down the hall. His movements were neither hurried or slow, but instead his normal pace. He behaved like he always did, despite how much he felt like tearing himself apart.

His feet padded right along the outer porch. He was forced to pause when he caught the sight of Naruko and Sasuke playing tag with Shisui, the blonde haired girl smiling happily.

His heart clenched and he felt as though something heavy left his shoulders. Looking down at the girl before him, Itachi decided that what he had done was the right thing to do. He had saved Sasuke from being used, had saved his country from his father's barbaric tactics. Most of all, he had saved Naruko from being used as a pawn by his father.

Itachi sighed gently, smiling softly as Naruko called out for him to join them.

Her eyes were bright, lit with happiness that he had hardly seen since she received word of her brother fighting Japan. It was a nice change.

I~~~~I

Japan had fallen beneath the Ninth Biju's feet. Britannia had prevailed where others couldn't, taking control of Japan with force. Towns were reduced to smoldering rubble and the once grand Mount Fuji was littered with miners after the precious ore that had caused the entire war.

The Uchiha household could no longer remain as it was, leaving Itachi and Sasuke to wander off on their own and Naruko to follow.

Naruko's worth had been destroyed and so had the two brothers'. Madara had only given them a general direction, supplies for two months, and left them alone.

Shisui was gone, having returned to his home when the war had turned for the worse.

They were alone in this and that was the truth.

I~~~~I

Somehow as time moved on they grew distant. Itachi was on edge constantly because of the battlefields they walked through, the many bodies that he, Sasuke, and Naruko had to see day after day.

Naruko pushed forward constantly, never wilting despite the carnage. Sasuke began to recede and his childish attitude began to grow cold. Itachi could hardly deal with all that was going on, but he remained strong for the two younger children.

It was after they passed by a graveyard that Naruko finally had enough, however.

The young girl had tripped on a burnt doll, a doll with a small childish hand clutching it from beneath the dirt.

Naruko hadn't gotten back up, simply curling into herself as soft sobs echoed around the barren landscape.

Itachi couldn't do anything more than stand there holding Sasuke's hand as Naruko cried.

The next morning Naru's bed roll was empty and her backpack was gone. Half of her rations were left with them, as well as her blankets and most of her other supplies. They didn't see her again after that.

I~~~~I

Her eyes snapped awake as the cold air left her pounding chest, tears slipping down tanned cheeks.

"Uzumaki-San, are you awake?"

A soft voice called to her, but she was too busy trying to catch her breath to reply. Her entire world was tilting, the dreams that happened to be memories choking her.

A soft hand touched her back and a cool glass was pressed to her lips.

Naruko greedily drank the water that was offered, her eyes slipping closed as she leaned into the warm body standing at her bedside. Once Naruto had finished the glass of water was removed from her lips and a cool towel was placed on her head.

"Do you want me to tell Sarutobi-Sama that you won't be in class today, Uzumaki-San?"

The voice intoned gently, leaving Naru to gaze toward the source of the voice. The owner was a simple brunette with gentle eyes. She wore a white and black maid uniform and held herself in a rather firm manner.

"I'm fine, Rin. You don't have to do that."

Nohara Rin nodded to her charge, gently pulling away from Naruko as she left the room quietly. Naruko stared after the woman before she turned toward the drawn curtains attached to the window beside her bed.

The sun was rather bright, shining down over the awakening students of Konoha High School's Campus. Green grass dotted the non-paved grounds, sidewalks leading to and from class. The school looked TV show worthy, so much so that it angered Naruko inwardly.

She still remembered the carnage that had to take place in order for the Britannian's to have their precious colonies. She remembered the body of that one little girl, still holding her doll. The memory made her want to throw up and cry, but she wisely held it back and simply slipped out of bed to get ready.

Her eyes remained dull the entire time.

I~~~~I

 **And that's it for now…Maybe I'll continue it. This was a plot bunny and now that I have written it I may rewrite it so that Naru is actually in Suzaku's place instead of Itachi, and that the Uchiha siblings are Lelouch and Nunali.**


	21. XXI- Mafia Jinchuuriki

**Universe-Mafia Jinchuuriki/Real World AU**

 **Main Characters-Naruto, Kurama**

 **Side Characters-Jinchuuriki, Uchiha Brothers, Tailed Beasts**

 **Pairings-blooming SasuNaru**

 **Warnings-Fem Naruto, crossdressing Naruto, violence, mentions of drug use, language**

 **Origin-Other Fanfiction, once again**

 **Background-When you have Ten crime lords all striving for power in a little city, it's no wonder that things can get very chaotic and bloody. Naruto knows this first hand, she is after all the younger sister of Uzumaki Kurama the Kyuubi Smuggling Master of Konoha's Ninth sector and the infamous Head of Uzumaki Corporation. Her life is never dull, especially considering the fact that she just so happens to be one of the best thieves-for-hire in Konoha, and her newest target happens to be the Nephew of the man listed as number one on Kurama's** _ **'Fuck you too'**_ **list in big, bold, red letters.**

 **Disclaimer-Don't own Naruto, do own the plot though, but maybe not the idea…depends.**

 **Chapter Dedicated to the rain pattering outside my windows.**

It was a night the same as all the others during that week, nothing really special about it. The clouds were mostly clear, the moon barely shown as a sliver of silver light in the sky. Amongst the lightly rattled branches outside an apartment building sat a black figure, their tanned skin mostly covered by their slightly baggy jacket and pants, work boots covering the figure's feet as their blue eyes glistened behind a pair of darkened shades. A light smirk shifted over the lips of the figure, whose azure gaze stuck to the third-floor apartment where a raven haired boy was just finishing his shower.

The figure's eyes briskly skipped over the boy and instead narrowed on the piece of work left on the dining room table, inviting them toward it with silky whispers of it's worth.

"Hmm…"

The light noise caused a slight shiver to snake down the figure's back as the humming caused vibration along their sensitive lips, coated with a thin layer of gloss. "Such a lovely work of art…"

A grin spread over the figure's face as they let go of the branch they held, dropping down below into the private garden for the residents.

Stealthily moving to the side of the building, the figure raised their arm, shooting a grapple upward before vanishing into the night, barely a blur against the lit windows of the boy's apartment.

I~~~~I

"I told you Ni-San, I'll get the painting to the Gallery tomorrow morning. It'll be fine here; no one will notice the fake until we switch it."

Sighing into the receiver of his phone, the dark-eyed Raven dressed in sweats that hung low on his hips looked toward the object of his brother's concerns.

"Itachi-"

Huffing lightly into the phone, in a manner that really didn't fit the cold look the boy possessed, the Raven pulled the phone from his ear and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, goodnight."

Pressing his thumb into the red 'end call' icon on his phone, the Raven brushed his pale right hand through his hair before tossing the device leisurely onto his couch, ignoring it as it began to ring.

"You'd think after Seventeen years he'd learn to trust me with things like this…course not."

The Seventeen-year-old teenager moved swiftly into his kitchen, pausing to open the fridge as he searched for some dinner. His eyes roved over the many packages of lunchmeat, and the different types of tomatoes left beside half-eaten takeout boxes. The dark eyes narrowed on the takeout, before promptly lightening on the carton of cherry tomatoes waiting to be washed and snacked on. "I suppose something light won't be too bad."

Reaching, the male picked up the carton, only to freeze when the doorbell to his apartment opened up.

Grunting in annoyance, the male set down his food and walked to the door, peeking through the peephole at his intruder. He was mildly surprised to see a black dressed delivery man with shades pulling back his bright yellow locks standing with a package in his arms, his baggy work coat brushing over the brown package.

"Delivery for Kusanagi? From Susanoo."

The delivery man spoke up, his voice light, indicating either puberty or a really horrible curse dealt by life.

The Raven reached to slide open the lock and wave the electronic pass, before opening the door to stare at the delivery man. The man held out his hand, a simple device held within. "Signature please."

The Raven sighed, reaching to grab it. He paused before scratching his name into the digital device, removing the box from the male's hands as he finished. The delivery man took back the device, looking at the name in slight shock. "Sasuke, heh? Like Sarutobi Sasuke?"

Sasuke narrowed his gray orbs on the delivery man before he sighed heavily and answered, shifting the package into his room. "Hn."

The delivery man raised a brow on a too-delicate face, before chuckling light enough for the sound to be mistaken as a laugh. "I'd say have a nice night…"

Sasuke paused at the wording, barely stepping into his apartment when he felt a hand press into his shoulder, his head snapping to the side just in time to catch the azure orbs hidden under wavy blonde locks.

"But Foxes aren't known for being gentlemanly."

The hand pressed down, and Sasuke felt his body go numb as the gloved thumb of the man slipped from his pressure point. His body slumped, the man pushing the door open as Sasuke's back pressed into the corner of the wall, his vision blurred.

"W-What…?"

A light tap on his cheek was felt, the blue entering his line of vision once more as he heard the laugh once more. "Tell Madara Kyu says hello."

With that, Sasuke's world slipped into the shadows.

I~~~~I

Groaning gently, a red headed male looked around himself, adjusting his arm below him as he yawned away his sleep. Upon feeling a familiar weight and warmth on his body, the male looked down, the scent of the rain wafting into his nose as he gazed down at the small redhead sleeping on him.

Bright azure eyes, deeper than even the sky, gazed back up at him. "Mornin' Kurama."

Kurama blinked for a moment before his lips twitched upward on his deeply tanned face.

"Morning Hime, when did you get back?"

The girl giggled gently, slowly pulling her body up in an arch as she stretched her muscles, her black shirt riding up over her smooth stomach while a pair of basketball shorts rode up along her shapely legs, the bottoms barely caressing her knees.

"Around ten last night. I finished the-"

The girl was cut off by the TV to their right side, past the glass coffee table and Russian rug, cutting into her sentence.

" _-So far police have only one lead on the burglary performed last night at 9 pm. The lead is nothing new to this city in situations involving stolen priceless artifacts,"_

The girl huffed in slight annoyance, pulling herself to the side of the couch while Kurama sat up, blinking at the blonde haired reporter manning the booth on the news broadcast.

" _The Shadow Fox has once again slipped away from a crime without the police finding a single piece of evidence."_

Kurama chuckled at this, shaking his head before reaching to playfully ruffle the girl's hair, making her beam as he smiled with his canines displayed at her.

"Nice job Naruto."

Naruto grinned back up at her brother, humming as he slipped off the couch, his hand leaving her hair while he stretched his arms. The news reporter continued with details on Naruto's mission, going far enough to detail the encounter the guardian of the painting, Uchiha Sasuke, had with Naruto.

"It's laughable how easily they assume I'm a guy. I mean really, just because I wear baggy clothes…"

Naruto pouted at the TV, crossing her arms over her chest as she spoke.

Kurama rolled his eyes at his little sister, walking toward his room down the hall of his apartment. "It makes it easier for you to slip away though. Oh yeah, where'd you put the wig?"

Naruto grinned at her brother behind his back. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Kurama shook his head in exasperation, ducking just in time to dodge a pillow before he slipped into the second door to the left, Naru's steps sounding as she walked to her own room to get ready for the day.

The red headed male glanced over his dresser, pausing on the picture of his little sister and another redhead blowing out candles on a cake, several other children gathered around them, mostly older and one younger. Other Teenagers stood in the background, Kurama at the front with his hands resting on the shoulders of his fellow red heads.

Smiling gently at the memories, Kurama grabbed his clothes and walked toward his shower.

I~~~~I

Walking from the shower with a towel wrapped around his neck and a red shirt pulled over his head, Kurama observed his home in silence. He could hear the faint tapping in the kitchen, a lovely smell wafting through the living room. The black couch had been fixed, the pillow tossed at him earlier set neatly at one of its corners, while the ruffled blanket Kurama had used was folded and left on the black loveseat. The sun shone through the wall of windows lining the entrance to the living room, the windows stopping to form a wall as they entered the kitchen, while the other side stopped where it met the right wall of the living room that was also the hallway's backing.

The living room was deposited in the middle of the apartment, with stairs leading upward to the studio level and entertainment rooms, a kitchen attached to the middle wall the TV rested against.

"Kurama, it's almost 9!"

Kurama sighed as he looked to one of the digital clocks left near the TV, annoyance surfacing while he strode toward the kitchen. He stepped onto the tiled flooring, heading toward the marble island where three plates of food rested. Naruto was just turning off the stove and blender when he arrived, her hands working on automatic while she pulled the blender pitcher off the device and tipped the contents into the glasses lining the plates. The girl worked methodically, humming to herself as she nibbled on a piece of bacon held between her lips.

Finally finished, Naruko set the pitcher in the sink with the bowl of raw pancake batter, before turning to grab her plate.

Kurama was already eating his own, savoring the light texture of Naruto's chocolate chip pancakes with her vanilla maple syrup, the bacon and eggs mostly gone.

Naru smirked, used to her brother's quick eating, before she too dug into her food, leaving the last plate to the side while she took a drink of her smoothie.

"You have a meeting at 10, and then you have a lunch date with the newest signer for Uzumaki Corp, after that you have till 1 for whatever and then you have another company meeting. Also, the press wants you to speak about the painting after that, as well as the newest security improvements at our sites, and then the demo on the newest app at tonight's gala. I already sent your suit in for prepping, and I'm going shopping for a dress later on today. Jiraya also called, he wanted to talk about something."

Kurama nodded, finishing his breakfast as he sighed deeply.

"Ok. Don't forget to wake up Kakashi. I'll be heading down to the office, make sure to call Shukaku and tell him to have my office ready."

Naru grinned at her brother as she finished her food, taking his empty plate to the sink.

"Already done."

Kurama chuckled, inwardly knowing he should have expected that. He swung around, carefully placing a kiss on Naruto's forehead before straightening and walking toward the door where his shoes, keys, and paperwork were already laid out.

"Have a good day Kurama-Ni!"

Naruto waved as Kurama pulled his shoes on and left, sparing a smile at his little sister before the door closed behind him.

I~~~~I

A grunt of annoyance left Sasuke's tight lips as he listened to the cops talking with his brother, his eyes narrowed on the wall as he desperately tried to recall the night before. The delivery man with bright azure eyes and blonde hair, who had a good enough knowledge of anatomy and nerves to numb his body long enough to snatch the _real_ painting he had been hiding. He and his brother had been so careful transporting the painting, and in the end, it hadn't mattered. The fake painting being publicly moved was untouched, completely ignored by the thief.

"Alright, thank you for your help."

Looking over to the cops once his elder brother finished, Sasuke allowed his frown to show, his eyes knowingly meeting his elder brother's own gaze.

The pale skinned raven with tear troughs sighed heavily at him, walking forward.

"Outoto, I told you it would have been better to keep it at my place."

Sasuke continued to glare at the older male, even as his eyes met his deep gray orbs.

"Don't give your brother that look Sasuke."

Sasuke's back straightened as a booming voice called out, his eyes snapping to the figure looming in the doorway behind Itachi. The man was also a raven, only his hair hung over his back in a long spiky mane, his eyes darker than obsidian.

"And don't patronize your brother Itachi. This would have happened regardless of the location…In truth, it wasn't the painting they were after."

Sasuke's mind supplied the faint memory of words whispered into his ears after a light slap to his cheek.

' _Tell Madara Kyu says hello.'_

"Kyu…That's what the guy who stole the painting said. He said Kyu says hello."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly as the man in the doorway nodded.

"Precisely. If anything, this is my own fault for angering Kyuubi…I should have known he'd retaliate like this."

The two brothers stiffened while the eldest hummed, staring off into the hall.

"Come on, we have the meeting with Uzumaki Corp to attend. You both need to get dressed."

The boys shared looks once more before they followed after the older male, each speaking calmly.

"Oh course, Uncle Madara."

I~~~~I

A light puff of air left red lips as long legs pushed through a crowd of people, red hair flying behind Naruto's head as she ran through the people, a pair of white shades placed over her eyes.

Her blue and white sneakers barely brushed the ground as she rushed down the streets, a free smile on her lips. Her messenger bag banged against her hip, the cold air whipping over her cheeks as she raced over the sidewalk toward her destination.

The Azure eyes widened however when a sudden black-dressed figure pulled in front of her, the blue orbs meeting dark gray as she twisted her foot around, barely swinging to the side of the boy she had nearly run into.

The boy looked at her with concealed surprise, his companions reaching forward as Naruto slowed to a stumble, catching herself by shifting her weight to another foot.

"S-Sorry!"

Naruto tossed a grin at the three men walking by, a smirk taking over as she shifted her feet once more and took off running again.

Behind her, she left a rather stunned trio of ravens, one smirking, one indifferent, and one glaring.

"Watch where you're going!"

Sasuke shouted after the red haired devil, glaring as he watched her red locks disappear in the crowd. "You alright Sasuke?"

Sasuke glanced backward at Itachi, sighing heavily as he noticed the glimmer of worry. "Fine."

The Uncle of the two hummed lightly under his breath, turning his gaze in the direction of the girl.

' _A red head rushing in the direction of Ichiraku Ramen during lunch hour with barely any thoughts of the world around her. I wonder…'_

I~~~~I

Naruto sighed heavily as she twirled slightly in front of the body-length mirror. Her blue eyes slipped down the rather tight fitted top half, and the loose and slightly flared ends.

The dress was a light gray, almost silver. It highlighted her features as well as her auburn hair. The color wasn't her first choice, but it also wasn't her last. She had wanted orange or burnt orange at least, but her brother was very persistent and influential on the staff.

"Well, I might just need a bat if you plan on going to the Gala dressed like that, Naru-Hime."

Naruto's cheeks flushed when she spotted the silver haired man standing behind her. The man was her mentor and Kurama's adviser. He also happened to be the co-author for Jiraiya's Icha Icha series. Above all that, Hatake Kakashi was acting as her escort to Kurama's event.

He wore a simple black tux without the tie, his left eye shadowed by his silver bangs. His face was carefully covered by a rather expensive scarf, any feature at his cheek bones or below hidden. Naruto couldn't help but blush at his compliment, but a pout also worked its way over her face at the nickname he had given her.

When it came to any of Kurama's acquaintances she was known as the 'Hime', or Uzumaki Princess. Half the time the name was used as a mockery of her status as the Kyuubi's left-hand woman.

Kakashi wasn't quite aware of her standing in the criminal underworld, but with his position under Jiraya, the information broker no one wanted to cross, he had to know more than most.

The silver haired man gently took her hand, steering her away from the mirror where she had been fussing over her outfit.

"You look fine, better than that Naruto. We should get going though before your brother thinks you were kidnapped or something." Kakashi commented as he led her to the door, ignoring the grimace crossing her cheeks.

She still remembered the last time she had been late. Kurama had nearly warranted a search party, even though she had actually been at the Gala.

"Don't remind me…Gaara still isn't allowed to be alone with me." Naruto commented, frowning as she remembered how the male had cornered her and taken the liberty to kiss her senseless.

Kakashi's hand tightened on her forearm, his eyes shutting into his dangerous eye-smile. His next words were hissed out in a protective warning. "And he won't ever be alone with you again."

Naruto sighed and resigned herself to being in protective custody for the remainder of the night. It wasn't her fault that Gaara liked her, or that he was crafty enough to slip away before he could be caught. Kurama was still seething and waiting for his chance to ring the other redhead's neck.

She glanced out the windows as the lights shut off and she was hauled out the door, her gaze settling on the streets. Faintly she thought of the Uchiha she had stolen the painting from before she shook her head and pushed any thoughts other than those for the company aside. She wasn't a criminal tonight, she was Uzumaki Naruto, the little sister of Konoha's youngest CEO.

I~~~~I

Sasuke hated gatherings. He disliked the people and the amount of fake emotions. He could spy several women flirting unashamedly with men other than their husbands, as well as said men staring down dresses or up skirts.

It sickened the raven enough to get him to drink another glass of champagne, if still slow enough to be polite. It wouldn't do to piss off his uncle Madara when he was trying to get a deal with Uzumaki Corp. All they needed was that signature and they'd be soaring to the top alongside their ally.

"Careful, if you continue drinking like that you'll end up waking in a bed that isn't your own."

A voice called out from Sasuke's right. The voice was soft and it rang a familiar tune. When Sasuke turned her expected a familiar blonde, but instead he was met with a red haired beauty.

The girl was shorter by a good six inches than him, but her heels lessened that considerably. Her dress was silver with soft lace accents going down the bust, the bottom flaring out just a few inches so it swished around the girl's feet as she walked. Her hair was auburn and done into an elaborate braid with many pins. The most startling feature of the girl was by far her eyes, however, as they were much richer than any ocean or sky. No makeup adorned the girl's face, which was surprising considering most of the ladies were caked in it.

This girl didn't need the makeup to look beautiful, even Sasuke could see that.

"Is that an offer?" Sasuke questioned with a blank face, watching as the girl's lips twitched. She held her hand out to him and offered her name.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Sasuke had to stifle the surprise rising in his gut as he reached out and grasped her hand firmly. One more surprise was the fact that Naruto's hand felt far firmer than most of the males Sasuke tended to greet.

He pushed it off, noting that this girl was far too surprising to him and most likely would continue to be. Instead, Sasuke leaned forward slightly to meet Naruto's vibrant eyes and offer his own name, his breath brushing her hand as he kissed the top of her hand.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Naruto's cheeks flushed slightly, but her soft smirk remained in place even as Sasuke pulled away and allowed her hand to drop.

It was obvious she hadn't expected the gesture, and that meant that Sasuke had one up on the Uzumaki.

A tapping noise suddenly broke through their tense atmosphere, the two turning in time to look at the stage set up under the large windows showcasing Konoha in all of its glory. Kurama held his glass along with a small knife he had used to draw everyone's attention to him. His hair was left loose and it fell in precise spikes over his shoulders. His eyes scoured the crowd as his charming smile danced over his lips.

At Sasuke's side, Naruto let loose a soft sigh of exasperation, most likely over the whole farce, before she gently tapped Sasuke's arm.

Sasuke turned to her, meeting her gaze just before she whispered to him.

"How about we ditch this and go somewhere else to get to know one another? He's just going to spout some nonsense about everyone doing their parts…"

Naruto's gaze never left Sasuke. Those eyes were intense and they sealed the deal when it came to listening to this strange redhead.

Sasuke smirked and allowed the girl to steer him from the crowd, no one really paying attention to them as Kurama continued his speech.

I~~~~I

Once they had left the party and come upon a rather secluded alcove looking over Konoha, Sasuke let out a soft chuckle.

"You know most girls lead me from parties to do more than talk."

Naruto glanced back at Sasuke with a delicately raised brow before she laughed. Her laugh wasn't like the soft giggle soft giggles other high-class women let out, but instead, it rang true and had a healthy feel to it.

"Well, I'm not most girls. If you want anything more from me than you'll have to know me first. I don't do strangers …"

Sasuke stepped closer to the girl, catching her by surprise if her widening eyes were anything to go by. He placed a hand on the side of her head and looked down at her eyes. He could hear her breathing and see the way her shoulders relaxed against the wall he had pinned her too.

He spoke softly, his eyes searching her gaze. "Just Sasuke is fine, Uzumaki. And if you want to get to know me, well I suppose we can talk."

Naruto's cheeks flushed, but true to his expectations she smirked and her hand pressed to his chest. Her face was inches from his, her eyes dancing with a wicked light.

"Call me Naruto then, Sasuke." The words came out as a sensual purr that had Sasuke nearly backing out. Despite the girl's flustered actions she still knew how to play along, and that was something new for the Uchiha.

There was no doubt in Sasuke's mind that Madara would be pissed at him for flirting with Uzumaki Kurama's little sister, but he honestly didn't care.

"So, what's your favorite food?" Naruto commented like they weren't pressed together. Sasuke's eyes trailed her lips as he felt some smugness take control of him.

Sasuke replied gently with, "Tomatoes…I don't really like sweets either."

Naruto hummed and countered with her own answer. "I like strawberry shortcake, but I'd have to say I prefer the classic soul foods most."

They both gazed at one another and Sasuke asked the next question. "How about dinner sometime then…I can pick you up."

Naruto chuckled again, tilting her head so that the light caught her features in a very appealing way.

"You move fast Sasuke, but sure."

She whispered. Her lips ghosted his own and Sasuke pressed forward. He had thought they'd learn more but as it was this girl was intoxicating.

Uzumaki Naruto had this pull about her, and even though she had most likely dragged him from the party for a less than well-intentioned reason, Sasuke wanted to go along with it.

The kiss was soft and quick, just a gentle peck in all honesty, but it had Sasuke caught in the damned red head's grasp.

They both pulled away and Naruto grinned at him again, before she suddenly vanished from his 'pin'.

Sasuke whipped around, finding that the Uzumaki had ducked under his grasp and slipped behind him in the span of a few seconds.

The redhead walked toward the balcony, her dress shining. It was that moment Sasuke saw the diamond cut into the back, exposing her tanned skin.

He shook his head and followed the strange girl. He still had to get her number, after all.

I~~~~I

Kurama frowned as he walked through the empty halls, his eyes searching for any spot of red other than his own reflection. Beside him was Uchiha Itachi, the older nephew of Uchiha Madara. Kurama had been playing nice with Madara when Itachi had come up and mentioned his little brother's disappearance. It was then Kurama noted that Naruto had also vanished, resulting in his protective side flaring. The last time Naruto had done the same thing he had found Gaara kissing her against a wall.

Just the memory had his insides boiling. Too many men liked to take advantage of his little sister. It was starting to get really old and it was the whole reason that Kurama had made Kakashi the girl's escort. Naruto had managed to give the silver-haired author the slip, however, when he was busy talking with Jiraya.

A sudden bout of laughter caught his attention and he turned sharply to looked down the hallway to his left.

Walking down the corridor was a familiar red head along with a new Raven. The Raven was leaning quite close to Kurama's little sister, the girl staring at him with an equal intensity.

The raven spoke and Kurama noticed how Naruto shivered and her cheeks flushed red.

It was enough to have him stalking over.

Naruto, who always seemed to have a sixth sense to his location, turned around to see him. The Crafty Vixen smiled at him and waved, her head tilted so that she looked far too innocent.

"Kurama-Ni! Meet Sasuke-Kun. He agreed to show me around Sharingan Inc. so that I could get to know them before we partner. He also invited me to dinner!"

Naruto grinned at him, Sasuke raising a brow behind her back as his lips twitched up at the corners.

Kurama wanted to skin the bastard alive, but seeing as the boy's older brother had just walked up, he thought it unwise. His little sister had also smartly hugged him, keeping him from reaching for the knife hidden in his belt.

It was all well a good, however, because Kurama would get back at the smug Uchiha soon enough. Leave it to his little Sister to make him target not just the head of the Uchiha, but his nephew as well.

I~~~~I

 **I was bored…no excuse really. I mean I wanted to do this for a long time and I doubt I did this line of plot justice. I may do more if anything it's just a plot bunny that I will leave to rot. Feel free to expand on it, and any other of my one-shots. I write these because I can't find one I want to read. Thanks for sticking to it this long, until next time!**


	22. XXII- TTT Middle School Blues

**Universe-TTT Universe**

 **Main Characters-Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Sashiko(OC)**

 **Side Characters-Kakashi, Sai, Obito, Ichihara(OC)**

 **Pairings-ItaNaru Crush, SashiDoten-Shi(OCXOC)**

 **Warnings-Time Jump, Whatever I Want**

 **Origin-I was rereading one shots and listening to K-Pop when this just kinda poured out**

 **Background-Naru, Sakura, and Sasuke have all bonded over their elementary years going into their middle school ones. They all are scrambling to pick their classes when a certain cyannette gives them a push in their own directions.**

 **Disclaimer-I only own the Oreshizoku's, Doten-Shi Ken, and this hash plot**

 **Chapter Dedicated to me finally writing into this little composition of stories**

At first, none of them had worried much about it. The three of them had gone into higher grades before. They had even survived their fourth-grade year where each of them had a separate class. They believed they could make it through Middle School just fine, that sixth grade wouldn't be too hard. That was until the concept of separated classes and different courses became the focal point.

Naru wanted to join Basic Foods along with Art and Writing. Sasuke wanted to go through Shop, Kendo, and Forensics. Sakura wanted Foods with Naruto, but she also wanted Forensics and the Beginners to Business Management Course they were offering.

All three didn't know whether to try for similar classes or no, or whether they should go their own way or even just find something else.

Or at least none of them knew until the one day when Oreshizoku Sashiko invited them to have dinner at her house.

I~~~~I

Sashiko could see that her favorite Terrible Trio wasn't doing too well when they all showed up and barely even noticed that her Oni-San's brownies were on the tabletop in front of all of them.

"Alright, spill. You guys have acted oddly ever since Kashi-San and Tobi-Oji mentioned the whole alternate classes and what-not." Sashiko demanded from her friends, raising a brow as she took a deep bit of one of Ichihara's brownies.

Like always they were soft and gooey, the heat from them making warm shivers cascade over Sashi's back even as she stared at Naru and Sakura. Her intense gaze caused the two girl's to fidget, leaving the remaining male to speak up for them all.

"We're worried about what going into Middle School will do. It's so different and we weren't…we aren't sure whether it'll ruin what we have…" Sasuke muttered, glancing up as Sashi finished her brownie. The cyan-haired girl sighed after she heard the explanation, raising her gaze to the ceiling as she silently begged for patience before sharply glaring at all three children.

"First and foremost, you'll be fine. It won't be that different. It's just a few tweaks to your normal schedule, and if you're lucky you'll have a core class with each other. It's not the end of the world; in contrast, it's the beginning. You need to think about after you are done growing, just make basic plans like what industry you'll go into or whatever." Sashi finished by popping a blueberry into her mouth from the fruit basket by the brownies, scowling as she continued.

"There isn't too much else. Look, Sasuke-San, you want to follow Itachi into the whole police biz, right? So then take courses that can help with that. The ones I recommend are that forensics class, gym, and the Kendo or self-defense class. You could also just join more clubs and free your electives for other things. Sakura-Chan, you wanted to take over your father's little law firm, correct? So start going into it round-a-bout and all that. Business helps, then Careers and even Basic Foods since they go over food safety and the laws on owning a restraint and such. As for Naruto, go for Cooking and Art. You love both and if you aren't a chef by the time we graduate I will kiss that Baka Doten-Shi, gotcha?"

Sashiko breathed in heavily, huffing as she grabbed another brownie. The three in front of her had their wide eyes directed on her as she finished chewing her brownie, her eyes softening. "What?" Sashi hissed under her breath, cheeks flushing as she looked off to the side.

Naru broke the ice first, laughing loudly as she hugged her sides tightly and pointed her finger at Sashiko. "Y-You're totally a therapist like Sai said!" Naru shouted at Sashiko, drawing the attention of the adults walking through the front door.

A blue eyed Raven shook his head at the scene before him, glancing with a smirk toward his companions.

"Neh, Kashi-San, Tobi-San, why don't we actually cook these brats some dinner while they mull over Sashi-Chan's words?"

Sakura and Sasuke shared glances, both offering small smiles before they looked to the grinning Naru, her hands moving to grab each of theirs. The Blonde looked to the two of them before she flashed her teeth in a brilliant smile and cheered loudly, "Sashi-Chan is right, we can do this!"

Sashiko rolled her eyes, reaching for another brownie from the platter in front of her. She was struck speechless when an arm snaked around her waist and hauled her up over a shoulder. The next moment the silence was broken by her shocked shout, one filled with anger and annoyance.

"D-Dammit Ichihara-Ni put me down!"

Laughter filled the small room as the raven named Ichihara twirled his snarling little sister around. "Neh, Sashi-Chan, don't eat too many brownies or you'll get too fat for Ken-Kun to like you~"

Snarls cuts through the air, Sashi struggling to claw her brother's eyes out while a brilliant red flush spread over her face.

"SHUT UP!"

I~~~~I

 **And there that one is. Next will most likely be College or Middle School Life. Sorry if it's sporadic but in all honesty, this is just a relief for the words pressing at my mind and keeping me awake at night. It may also help me with the word games I seem to be stuck on. Anyways sorry if the facts are a little off or glossed over involving Fifth to Seventh Grade. I was homeschooled those years so it's hard to piece that stuff together other than from sibling or friend accounts, and even then my school is not traditional. I spent my Eighth Grade Year in a High School of 7** **th** **-12** **th** **Graders, so yeah**


	23. XXIII- TTT Kurama's Offer

**Universe-TTT-Universe**

 **Main Characters-(Fem)Naruko, Sasuke, Sakura, (Human)Kurama**

 **Side Characters-**

 **Pairings-ItaNaru Crush**

 **Warnings-Bits and Feels, Middle School, Human Kurama**

 **Origin-It's been thought of since I started this damn series**

 **Background-Seji Kurama has taken an eye to the Culinary Potentials at Konoha Academy, more specifically the talented competitor is known as Hatake Naruko. The girl has won many competitions, and now, he wants to make his interest known by recruiting her as his apprentice. The only problem is that her friends don't seem to want him anywhere near the Eighth Grader.**

 **Disclaimer- I don't own Naruko, just this plot**

 **Chapter Dedicated to Kurama's appearance!**

The first time that Seji Kurama had heard of the young Hatake was after a food competition between the younger Culinary group of Konoha and the younger Culinary Group of Suna. Both groups had to form teams with each person taking the position one would in an actual kitchen while being supervised before they would prepare a private dinner for certain members of each school to be judged for the winner. The two students highlighted in that battle were the Head Chef of Konoha's excellent Junior team, one Hatake Naruko, and the Supervisor of Suna's team, Subaku no Gaara. Both students showed promise, but Kurama could only have the former choice since that bastard Shukaku swiped up Gaara before he could. Sibling rivalry was very strong in Kurama's family, however, which meant that he wasn't going to stop until he had Hatake in his palms.

So Kurama waited until the girl was old enough to accept the position of his apprentice since Suna had different rules than Konoha which resulted in Subaku getting Gaara far quicker before he finally made his move.

In his mind, it was a good choice, even if Uchiha and Haruno fought him tooth and nail to stay away from their friend.

I~~~~I

Naruko hadn't noticed at first when she came to school the last week of her Eighth Grade year, having mostly ignored all of it in order to get done with the day and move on. Middle School was tiring, what with the drama and the damn questions over whether she or Sakura was dating Sasuke yet. It was bad enough Doten-Shi had asked out Sashiko and finally gotten a yes, despite both of them barely being old enough to legally be home alone.

Naru rubbed her temples in agitation as she looked upward at the mirror she stood in front of. The humming of the kitchen sounded behind her, voices calling over the fuss of machines while feet padded on the tiled floor in sneakers.

Blonde hair was pulled tightly into a hair tie above Naru's head, drawing all of the loose strands from her face. She had just finished cleaning her station and her equipment and was now taking a few seconds to assess the stress lining her features. Her eyes were slightly shadowed, though the blue remained bright. Her neck was set at an awkward angle from her bending over textbooks till twelve at night as she studied for her Finals. "Hey, Naru, why don't you come help me over here!"

Naru blinked and turned toward the person intruding on her thoughts, catching sight of the blue locks before she smirked and marched toward the older teenager.

"I'll be right there Sashi, hold your cookies." Naru drawled in a bored tone, grabbing some oven mitts as she stalked toward her friend who was stuck holding open an oven while carrying two cookie trays.

I~~~~I

Naru stepped out of her fourth-hour class with a container filled with cookies, her eyes blinking as students filed past her toward lunch other classes. She had lunch now, second lunch to be exact. The sixth graders and part of the seven graders had first lunch, which occurred during her fourth hour. Naru had the fourth hour and then lunch.

"Naruko!" A voice called sharply from the right, directing Naru's gaze to the pink haired teen wading through the crowd toward her. The pinkette laughed lightly and reached for a cookie as she bumped Naru's hip.

"Come on, Sasuke said he'd wait up top for us." The girl commented, making Naru laugh gently. Of course, the Teme had decided to go up to the roof without them.

Naru started toward the stairwell beside Sakura. The halls began to empty, up until they stepped over the second landing of the stairs to the third floor where the upperclassmen lockers were located.

" _Hatake Naruko please report to the Main Office. Hatake Naruko please report to the Main Office."_

Naru stopped abruptly at the intercom message, her eyes narrowing as she gazed upward. Her blue orbs switched to her friend before a muttered curse left her lips.

Giving in Naruko turned toward Sakura and said, "Look I'll try and meet up with you guys before lunch ends." The blonde then took off back down the stairs, ignoring her friend's call over what the call was about.

Naru wouldn't have heard anyway since she had hopped the railing at the second floor down to the first, cookies and all.

I~~~~I

Barely a minute passed before Naruko arrived at the Main Office to be greeted by the aged principle known as Sarutobi Hiruzen. The man stood next to another male, maybe a little older than Sasuke's older brother Itachi. The man had sharp red hair and deep brown eyes that glinted as he took her in. His lips split into a grin and he turned toward her as she glanced to Hiruzen for an explanation.

"Naruko-Chan, it's good to see you again." The aged Principle spoke up, earning himself a gentle smile from one of his favorite students.

Politely, Naru replied to the man with, "The same to you, Sarutobi-San."

Hiruzen smiled at Naru and he gestured to the man beside him as Naru finished a small bow toward him.

"This is Seji Kurama. He has something he wishes to discuss with you."

Sarutobi finished off while he motioned for Kurama to speak.

Naruko turned her entire attention to the redhead before her, garnering a smirk as he leaned forward.

"Let's cut to the chase then, Hatake-San. I want to know if you would like to have a Culinary Apprenticeship under me, paid in full until you reach the age of Eighteen, in which I will then offer you a job at my personal restaurant. I'll, of course, give you time to decide whether or not you accept." Kurama trailed off as he pulled a card from his breast pocket and placed it into Naru's hand. His warm fingers brushed Naru's fingers along with her silver ring.

Kurama spared the jewelry a glance before he turned toward Hiruzen to speak. "I hope you understand I have a busy week so I'll cut this meeting short. Please tell Hatake-San all I told you and whatever else. Thank you for your time, Hiruzen."

Sarutobi shook his head at Kurama's farewell and he waved the man off with a chuckle and a few choice words. "Yes, of course. Don't let me hold you up."

Kurama nodded at the shocked girl that stared at him from her spot beside her principle before he turned and walked away.

Naru couldn't speak even as Hiruzen guided her to his office to explain everything.

I~~~~I

It was after school when Sasuke and Sakura found their friend resting beside their bikes, her head tilted back while her right hand rested over her eyes.

Neither knew what had happened and so they both sat beside their friend and patiently waited.

Naruko remained quiet for over five minutes before she finally let out a shaky breath.

"I-I got an offer…" The blonde whispered softly to her friends. Her arm slipped from her eyes slightly, showing the blue orbs to the other two. There was an indecipherable emotion in them, one that had both Sakura and Sasuke looking at one another.

Naru sighed and sat up, her arm falling to her lap as her other lifted, bringing out Kurama's card so that the other two could look at it.

"Seji Kurama. H-He's a chef…He's the number one entrepreneur in Konoha and is only rivaled by his eight other siblings in the world. H-he wants me as an apprentice, me…"

Naru's voice cut off and a soft laugh left her lips as she looked over to Sasuke.

Sakura reached around to pluck the card from her friend's fingers. She carefully read the details, her eyes slipping over the number and the nine tail-like designs spiraling behind the information.

Sasuke sighed heavily and reached over, drawing his friend into his shoulder calmly. He looked at Sakura, the two meeting each other's gaze again. They traded responses non-verbally, knowing each other well enough to understand certain looks.

Naru leaned into Sasuke's side, closing her eyes as she thought about the offer.

She loved cooking, loved how happy she felt while drifting across the tiled floors from the oven to the stove. She loved the feel of a knife in her hand as she cut up food, as well as the patience it took to make everything look amazing.

The kitchen made Naru feel alive, and whenever she looked down at her creations she was so happy. Would turning cooking into a career ruin that for her? She pondered the thought.

She had wanted to go into culinary at the beginning, and over the years she hadn't focused as much on the aspect but now she really had to think.

Closing her eyes she pictured herself years from then, cooking alongside Seji Kurama. The image came far easier than she had thought it would, which struck a chord in her chest.

Her decision was already made, even if she didn't want to admit it. She'd still wait a few days just to make sure, but in all honesty, Naruko had made her choice.

I~~~~I

After Sakura and Sasuke had walked her home in silence, Naruko calmly taking the card from Sakura's grip before she hugged her friends goodbye, the blonde had gone to be alone.

Like almost any other time that Naru had avoided human contact, she went to the roof of her house, climbing up the tree in the garden before slipping calmly onto the tiled roof.

She stayed there and stared up at the sky until the sun dipped down over the hills surrounding Konoha. The sight was breathtaking, but Naru couldn't find it in her to enjoy the sight as much as she normally did. Instead, she thought about the offer and it's pros and cons.

She would have her future planned out before she had even entered High School.

Naruko wouldn't have to struggle nearly as much as everyone else in regards to her career, and instead would be good to go without college.

But, and there always was a but, Naru would have to work even harder. She would have to prove herself to Kurama and push herself past the thought of cooking as a hobby. Cooking would become her life, and she may even grow to hate it.

The thought of going into a kitchen and hating it made her feel sick. Ever since Mikoto had allowed her to help in the kitchen she had enjoyed herself.

And then there was the competition side. Naru knew that Kurama was ranked so high in the food industry because of his competitive nature in high class competitions. He had faced every one of his siblings and succeeded in making amazing dishes. The man was barely an adult and already he had made a name for himself.

Naru had participated in several competitions before, most of them simple ones that didn't present much of a challenge. In fact she had one at the end of the week that involved Suna and Konoha's top rated Culinary students from Eighth grade and up.

Blue eyes hardened and Naruko set her lips into a hard line. She would choose then, after that competition.

I~~~~I

At the end of the week Naruko was taken to Konoha High School with her father and Obito. They arrived and she went to register and set up her station while her guardians both went to converse with the older judges and other adults.

Naru gazed down at her station and sighed gently, looking toward the window of the kitchen. She rather liked the kitchen at the High School, even if it was different from what she was used to.

"Are you prepared, Hatake-San?" Naruto nearly jumped when she heard the voice, her head turning to view a familiar red haired man. Naru raised a brow at Seji Kurama, taking in his attire. The man was wearing a red chef's jacket and his hair was pulled back into a ponytail. His pants were black and he wore what looked like boots under them.

Seeing how Naru had noticed his footwear, Kurama raised a finger to his lips in a gesture for keeping quiet.

"Shhh, I don't like sneakers."

Naru's lips twitched and she inched her leg out to show she too was wearing a nice pair of boots that could pass for dress shoes.

"You aren't the only one." Naruko offered, earning a smile from the older teen.

Kurama looked over her supplies and gestured to her knives. In a display of welcome Naru stepped aside, allowing the chef to take a look at her things.

"You have a nice collection…not too expensive but still decent quality. You also seem to sharpen these often. Your selection of food is very good as well. I'm guessing these are local?"

Kurama questioned the girl, earning himself a straightforward reply.

"Yeah, I sharpen the knives after each wash. As for the food, one of my teachers grows food in his own garden so I normally get my things from him."

Naru's eyes lit up as she spoke, catching Kurama's attention. The red head angled his body to her and glanced toward the clock.

"Say, if you have enough time after the competition, how about we face off. Just a friendly little cook off."

Naruko's eyes snapped to Kurama's, the blue hues widening as the man offered his hand to her to make a deal.

Naru shook her head and sighed heavily. "A kid chef vs one of the top chefs in not just Konoha, but the Nation? You're on."

Her smaller hand grasped the older male's hand, the two of them smirking at one another. The scene was almost laughable due to their height difference if only the tension weren't thick enough to suffocate someone.

I~~~~I

Sasuke's teeth snapped together as he glared daggers at the man that was shaking hands with his friend. Beside him Sakura was about ready to grab a knife from the nearest competitor and toss it at the man.

Neither of them liked Seji Kurama very much. The man was far too crafty. There had been no mention of the man's appearance at such a competition, but yet here he was.

On the bright side it looked like lightning was sparking between the red head and the blonde girl, but honestly Sasuke worried more over the fact.

Naruko was very competitive, and if Seji had offered a challenge to the blonde than he was much more dangerous than Sasuke or Sakura had thought. One challenge could drag Naru away from them, one challenge had nearly caused the girl to be expelled.

"If you continue looking at Seji-San like that then someone might question your incentive, Sasuke-Kun, Sakura-Chan."

A bored but very teasing voice called from behind the two friends. It made Sakura and Sasuke turn sharply to find the owner, only to end up face to face with Oreshizoku Sashiko.

The cyannette was standing beside her older brother with her arms crossed and a telling smirk dancing over her lips.

Her older brother, Ichihara, muttered and gently ruffled her hair. He was a good foot taller than the girl and didn't really have much in common with his sister other than their eerily similar eyes. His hair was a dark black like Sasuke's and his skin was tanned unlike Sashiko's pale complexion. Ichihara also was wearing a simple black shirt and black dress pants while his sister was wearing her smaller chef's jacket that was a twin to Naru's black one.

"Don't tease them Sashi-Chan. They are only worried about Naruko-Chan."

Ihara commented to his sister, a smirk twisting over his lips as Sashiko gazed up at him with a rather identical look playing on her lips.

"Of course they are. Seji-San is trying to take away their precious Naruko. He's doing a pretty good job and ensnaring her too."

Sashiko idly commented, pretending not to notice the way that Sasuke and Sakura's eyes darkened at the thought.

"Well I better go, the competition is about to start." Sashiko told them, nodding to her friends before tiptoeing to kiss her brother's cheek. She rushed off to her station, which was located right beside Naru's.

The judges called the thirty second warning for all Chef's to be at their stations, leaving the overprotective Haruno and Uchiha to watch as the mayhem began.

I~~~~I

It was nearing the end of the competition that Naru spotted the male opposite to her. Sashiko was at her right, but to her left was a pale red head with dark eyes. He moved very quickly and seemed to have a way with his spices as he worked with his cooked meat. Something about him had Naru pushing herself to go faster and work harder. Instead of taking the normal five minutes to whip together her favorite sauce for her fish, she only took two.

Her blood sang as she plated her dish as efficiently as possible, her eyes scouring every detail as she did finishing touches on three different plates.

In the end, when the timer rang, Naru could only grin down at her plate. Every part of her body felt alive even though there was stress weighing on her over how well she did. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed cooking.

"Good luck."

A rough voice called from her left, dragging Naru's attention from her plate to the male that had enthralled her earlier.

The boy, whose name she now saw was Gaara based on his name tag, was nodding to her with a blank face.

Naru nodded back, returning his words.

"Thanks, good luck to you too."

Gaara's lips twitched and they both faced forward and waited for the judges.

I~~~~I

Naruko stood in front of her father, leaning back on the man as the adrenaline from earlier faded from her body. She was tired, exhausted, and happy. They were announcing the places of everyone now, and Naru couldn't be more excited. Already they had gone through most of the kids, leaving only those at the top to be named.

"With a silver medal for excellent presentation and taste, Oreshizoku Sashiko!"

Clapping sounded as Naru's friend walked up to the stage, accepting her medal with a small smile.

Sashiko lined up next to everyone else who had been called, including Sai, whom Naru hadn't seen earlier.

"With a silver medal for beyond expectations…Hatake Naruko!"

Naru's lips lifted and she rushed form her father's arms toward the stage. She hopped over to the judge and accepted her medal with a bright smile before walking toward Sashiko.

"And finally with a gold medal for surprising the judges with his incredible seasonings, Subaku Gaara!"

Naru turned and her eyes widened when she saw Gaara walk up and accept his medal, his red hair a beacon in the crowd of browns and blacks.

Gaara walked over, his eyes catching hers.

Once he reached her he held out his hand. Naru took it into hers, grinning at the boy.

"Nice job." Naru commented, the boy's lips twitching enough to break his stoic features.

"Same to you." Gaara offered back.

Sashiko watched them both with analyzing eyes, noting the challenge neither of them spoke but both of them made.

It seemed that Naruko wasn't only being targeted by Seji now.

I~~~~I

It was after Naru had left the stage and found her father that Kurama had approached her.

The teen stared at her for a moment before his lips quirked into a smile.

"You were inspirational, Hatake-San."

Naru took the compliment and laughed gently at the chef.

"Please, I really didn't do much. And you can just call me Naruko, Seji-San."

Kurama chuckled at her, stepping beside her as she walked toward her waiting father. "Then call me Kurama-San at the very least, Naruko-San."

Naru gazed at the chef through the corner of her eye and shook her head. All around her she felt the many gazes of adults and children alike, each wondering why _the_ Seji Kurama was walking and talking with her.

"Very well, Kurama-San. I was wondering if your offer earlier still stood. I think I have enough energy for one more round."

Kurama glanced at her in surprise, before he shook his head and laughed quite loudly.

"Alright, if you still want to then let's go."

I~~~~I

In the end many people stayed just to watch a junior chef have a friendly battle with the much more experienced one. Kakashi had allowed it so long as she didn't push herself too hard, though he did have to deal with glares form both Sakura and Sasuke over his consent.

The judges had fun commenting on their different abilities, even noting how Naru didn't go for a meal like she had with the competition, but instead went for a simple strawberry shortcake.

Seeing how his competitor was working with something different Kurama ended up making a custard.

The two didn't rush but instead took their time and made simple commentary throughout the process. As they waited for their deserts to cook, Naruko whipped up a simply whipped cream and a smoothie.

At the very end Naru offered a glass to Kurama and the two drank happily as they served their dishes to the chosen judges.

The judges just so happened to be Gaara and Sashiko, since they had scored higher in their age group.

Kurama had looked a little surprised when he saw Gaara, but he remained standing beside Naru as they let Sashiko and Gaara taste.

In the end Kurama did win, but Sashiko had run off with the plate of shortcake while ordering Naruko to make it again.

The whole thing was rather spontaneous but it was well accepted and Kurama congratulated Naru while offering to do it again.

I~~~~I

Naru stood outside a rather plan but homey looking restaurant clutching her satchel. She stared at the simple sign above the door, a smile on her lips.

Shaking her head the girl turned to walk away, only to freeze when she spotted a smock-clad Kurama standing to her side. The man had a raised brow and was looking at her like he knew exactly why she had wondered over to his side of town.

"Come on in. We're doing prep so I can show you a few things, and you can show me how you made that smoothie."

Kurama spoke, his tone slightly smug.

Naruko rolled her eyes but followed him inside, her heart beating fast as she accepted her choice.

Her father already knew about the deal and his knowing look when she had left the house that day with her bike and bag told him enough about her decision.

I~~~~I

 **And there it is. So I did delve more into Naruko in this, as well as her passion. I have to say I love Chef Kurama quite a bit. As for the competition that's based off of my experiences with FCCLA, where no one gets first second or third, but they are ranked according to how well they did with different medals in either bronze, silver, or gold. I love competitive cooking but it is pretty stressful. I haven't done much but I was able to get a silver for my cake decorating at state which was fun. Anyways thanks for reading and tell me if you want something in particular from this universe or another one. I can also expand on drabbles at the end of chapters from my other stories or go more into detail on a subject I might have glossed over when it came to writing before.**


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